Warcraft convergeance
by 6-4 pilot
Summary: Through some strange portals, several beings from different realities have entered one. Through necessity, the group must work together to survive in this world or be destroyed. But as they work together, a dark power is conspiring to wreak havoc on the world they are on.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**So yeah, this is happening, even though I have little to no knowledge on the Warcraft universe. If I got a lot of things wrong, please put it down on the comment section so that I can redo a chapter so it could better fill in with the lore. As for why I'm doing this if I have just little knowledge on the Warcraft universe, well, I lost a bet and now I'm forced to do this because well I made a bet and I'm a man of my word, more or less.**

* * *

**Depths of space**

* * *

In the depths of space, the broken half of a star frigate was drifting to god knows where. Its destination is unknown and the chances of it being found are slim to none. A shame as its occupants were part of the group that saved humanity and all life in the galaxy. Within this derelict's hold, an artificial intelligence was monitoring the sole organic occupant left in the ship. The organic occupant was in a cryopod. Sighing, or at least something that resembled sighing, the artificial intelligence had her physical avatar appear near the cryopod in which the sole organic occupant resided in. The avatar for the artificial intelligence was female in design, resembling a woman in her twenties. Due to her synthetical nature, she was light blue in most of her body except for her short hair and some sections of her body that acted as clothing for her, these sections were dark blue. Looking at the inhabitant of the cryopod, the A.I. thought back to how they got into this mess.

Two years ago, the A.I. and the sole organic occupant were involved in a desperate attempt to save the Milky Way galaxy from a parasitic race called the Flood. The two, along with two others, went to a massive superweapon of titanic proportions in an effort to destroy the Flood. Despite the Flood attempting to stop them with everything it had, they succeeded in activating the weapon and destroyed the Flood. It did came at the cost though. One of their companions, a human soldier called Avery Johnson died, betrayed by another A.I. that shot him in the back when he attempted to activate the super weapon. Along with his death, the two of them were left stranded in space when their spaceship tried to escape. The ship had been cut in half when it entered a Slipspace portal that can take people to Earth, the home world of humans. The only one of their party went back to Earth, at least the A.I. believed so, was an alien called the Arbiter. Though the A.I. prayed for the alien, she was kind of angry with their predicament. She activated the ship's distress beacon, but she knew that rescue was slim to none. The portal, aside transporting people to Earth, also led to beyond the galaxy's rim, far away from any human colony world. While their ship was drifting back to the galaxy, it would take decades, perhaps even centuries, before they were discovered. While the organic occupant was fine with this, the A.I. wasn't.

The reason for this was an innate problem that all A.I.'s had. After a set period of time, an A.I. goes into a terminal state where they behave psychotic and deranged. A state that most civilized people called rampancy. The time varied between various A.I.s, along with other factors such as the quality of the technology used to build them and how much data they store or use up. For this A.I., she was built at around six years ago, still in the time frame for A.I.'s of her kind before she succumbed to rampancy. Despite that though, she was afraid. If she didn't get help soon, she'll become rampart. And if that happened, she may hurt her only friend. Looking at the sleeping man in the cryopod, the A.I. shook her head, praying that someone will come rescue them to both save them and to save her friend before she could hurt him.

Fortunately for her, that seemed to be the case as alarms began to blare all around the ship. Snapping at attention, the A.I. immediately went to work. Using what power is left on the ship, the A.I. transferred power to the ship's various cameras to find out what was going on. Before she could determine what was going on, however, a massive portal opened in front of the ship as it drifted to said portal that was mere feet away from the ship. Before the A.I. could process this development in time to do something, the ship actually was sucked through the portal, which closed as soon as the ship entered, leaving nothing but the emptiness of space in its wake.

* * *

**Earth**

**Big Empty**

* * *

In a massive crater that was far from any kind of civilization, lie a massive research facility complex. The complex was huge. It contained over a dozen and a half facilities of various sizes that all served a different function. One facility, in particular, was testing stealth technology in the from of armored suits. Another was testing agriculture and ways to improve plant growth. And another was dedicated to the research of genesplicing. All in all, the complex was the wet dream of any scientist and researcher. And at the top balcony of the largest building in the complex, lies a single person with a sniper rifle.

This person was wearing quite an advanced piece of armor. The user had a green chest plate that protected the entire torso. Across that chest plate were a bandolier with various bullets along with a strap of pouches. On the man's hip was a canteen along with more pouches, likely for ammo. Aside from the chest plate and its various attachments, the person also had a duster that had heavy reinforced shoulder plates and arm guards that were green in color. Along with those, there were armored knee guards of the same color over the dark pants that the user wore. To top this all off, the user wore a helmet that completely hid the face of the person. The helmet also doubled as a gas mask, protecting the user from gas or other chemical attacks. To be frank, it was a very intimidating suit of armor that scared many that saw it and its red glowing optics. Which suited the user just fine as they usually faced scumbags that deserved a bullet to the head.

Looking down at their optics, the wearer of the suit saw a person with a fading jumpsuit and goggled walking aimlessly to god knows where. Sighing, the wearer of the armor aimed at the jumpsuit wearing person and fired. Watching as the bullet blew their head in tiny chunks of flesh, armored being slumped on the ground and removed their helmet, revealing them as a young human male with brown hair that was shaved to a fuzz, likely to allow the helmet to not itch whenever he used it, with similarly colored eyes. Though this man didn't look much, he was responsible for single-handily changing the course of a war and saving a government from nuclear fire. This man had saved more lives than most would have done in their lifetime and has earned the respect of many within the communities that he helped preserve. This man was called by many as…Courier. A title that the man took. For what reason, only his closest friends knew. Some assumed it was because it represented what he enjoyed most, exploring and delivering messages to communities, giving them life. And that was partly true. The main reason was because he didn't remember his name. It was taken from him when he got shot in the head and left for dead. How he survived was anyone's guess, but many say that it was because he was just too stubborn to die. Whatever it was that allowed him to survive the gunshot to the head, it didn't matter to the people he helped and saved for without him, many of them would be dead or worse as he helped many in need.

He saved the Strip, a gambling center for the rich, from a cannibal that wanted his family to go back to their tribal roots. He helped preserve the sovereignty of the Followers of the Apocalypse, a humanitarian group that made it their life's goal to help those in need. But the most important thing he did was helping the NCR, a government that was trying to spread democracy to the scattered remains of human kind, in claiming Hoover Dam, a source of great power, for their own, thus giving them their seventh state as well as a source of renewable electricity. For many, the Courier was a man of legend, something that man couldn't help but chuckle at. All this, all of his achievements, after all, came from a need of revenge to get back at the man that shot him in the head.

Grabbing the canteen on his person, the Courier unscrewed the cap, took a large drink, before placing the cap back and placing the canteen back to where it belonged.

"**Damn. Should have taken that offer from Julie. Could use the break from all this."** Thinking of the lady that took his heart, the man got up before putting his helmet back on. He was about to go back to sniping when he heard a door opening. Turning around, he saw a ball-shaped robot that had several antennas all over its back, floating all the way to him.

"What is it, ED-E?" Asked the Courier as he stopped what he was doing to look at the robot. Speaking to the man via a various of beeps and metallic noises, the robot gave the man some troubling news. "Hmm…strange readings on the outskirts? And Lobotomites are investigating? Well, that is strange. Alright, want to come with me to check this out? Could use the extra fire power." The robot gave a nod before sending out some fighting music, causing the man to chuckle. "Alright you, rascal. Just let me get some more guns and supplies. These Lobotomites are tough." With that, the two went inside, eager to get out there and fight some more.

* * *

**Few hours later**

* * *

"Whoa!" Yelled the Courier as he ducked to avoid some fire from an anti-material rifle. "God damnit. Why the hell did the Think Tank thought it was a good idea to give the Lobotomites anti-material rifles!?" Giving a snarky remark, ED-E fired his blaster, which was mounted below his chassis, firing small bolts of blue energy at the Lobotomites, killing two, which disintegrated into piles of ashes. "Oh shut-up!" Aiming his large laser gatling gun, the man let loose, firing lasers at the enemy at astounding speeds, disintegrating three Lobotomites before the rest took cover. The remaining two, then took out grenades and tossed them over at the Courier and robot, forcing them to move away from their cover. Just as he was running away, the Courier looked at the supercomputer on his wrist. Turning it on, the Courier quickly turned the dial on the left of the computer, causing the screen to switch to various pictures of certain items. Finding the item that he desired, the Courier pressed a button near the screen and suddenly time began to slow down for him. Looking at the slowed down Lobotomites, the Courier aimed his gatling laser and opened fire at them, turning them all into dust.

"Hell yeah!" Yelled the Courier as he pumped his fist in the air. Looking at his robot companion, he saw it slowly making its way to him. It was when it was halfway to him that time resumed its normal course. Beeping in annoyance, ED-E gave a scathing remark. "Oh, grow up, using the implant GRX is not cheating. Besides, since when was fighting with guns and laser every about being fair?" The robot gave several beeps. "Whatever, you're must jealous that I got the most kills. Again." With that, the Courier and robot made their way to the anomaly that ED-E picked up. Eventually, they found it in the form of a purple portal. "The fuck is this?" Going over to the portal, the two walked to it carefully. "Got anything on your scanners, ED-E?" Giving several beeps, the robot told the Courier that nothing in its databanks could help them with figuring out what this thing was. "Well it's a good thing that we got several brains in cases that can help out with this stuff. I'll give them a call and see if they can send some robots down here to help us." Just as the Courier was about to radio his helpers, he suddenly got some strange feelings. At first, he ignored it, but then they grew stronger. Strong enough that it caused him to look at the portal with a sense of curiosity. Going closer to the portal, the Courier was about to touch the portal when ED-E went right in front of him, preventing him from touching the portal.

Giving several beeps and screeched, the robot scolded its friend for trying to touch something that was probably dangerous. Shaking his head, the Courier looked at the robot.

"Yeah, I know. Its just that. Something about this thing gave told me to touch it." Looking at the portal, the Courier had a feeling that this thing was trouble, for everyone that went near it. He was about to step back when one of ED-E antennas touched the portal by accident. With that touch, the portal began to suck the robot it, causing it to give a shriek of alarm. Shocked to see this, the Courier grabbed on to his friend and tried to pull him back. Unfortunately for them, he wasn't strong enough and the two were pulled into the portal, which soon closed as soon as they entered.

* * *

**Frontier space**

**Typhon system**

* * *

"God damn." Said a man in a full bodysuit that was vacuum-rated as he examined the destroyed world of Typhon. A world that he, unfortunately, had to destroy in order to save many lives. Scanning the ruined remains of a dropship, the man began to pack up and walk. As he walked, he couldn't help but remember how it all went down for this planet.

Back then he was just a regular grunt with some minor pilot training given to him by a pilot, an elite special forces trooper that was considered the most dangerous asset in the arsenal of the militia, the organization that he was fighting for. He, along with his whole unit, was sent to Typhon to investigate what the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, or IMC, the enemy that the Militia was fighting against, was up to. Expecting light defenses, the militia battlegroup went in with only carriers, which turned out to be a bad idea as Typhon had a robust ground to space defense grid that shredded their fleet. The man was one of the few that made it to the ground alive and even then he would have died if it wasn't for the pilot that trained him, captain Tai Lastimosa. Unfortunately for him, he suffered a fatal injury after coming across the Apex predators, an elite group of mercenaries under the employ of the IMC. Prior to dying, Lastimosa had given him his gear and allowed him to take his most valuable item, his Titan, a 25 foot tall mech that he used to defend the man from another Titan, as well as imploring him to continue the mission. Honoring the Lastimosa's last request, the man took his equipment, his titan, and continued the mission, saving the Militia from a weapon that the IMC hoped to use to destroy their main headquarters. Because of this, the man was promoted to be a pilot in the Militia's SRS, an elite unit of the Militia. Though he was honored, the man lost someone important to him. A partner.

You see, he had grown attached to the AI within the Titan of his mentor, BT-7274. The two had a good working relationship since the start of their adventure, but by the time they fought in the final battle of Typhon, the two were inseparable. They refused to let one another die by the enemy, even if it meant compromising the mission. Such was the case when the leader of the Apex predators, Kuben Blisk, threatened to kill the man if BT didn't give him the power source for the IMC's weapon, which was called the Fold weapon. The power source was locked within BT's chassis and though Blisk wanted to just crack it open, the power source was unstable and any attempt to forcibly remove it might have caused some severe radiation leakage or worse, blow them all up. So, with the life of his pilot in danger and despite the fact it would compromise the mission, BT opened up his chassis, sparing his pilot's life. Some people would have ridiculed the AI for doing this, but the pilot didn't care. It just showed the dedication and friendship that he had with BT. A friendship that was tragically ended short when BT sacrificed itself to destroy the Fold weapon, saving millions of lives, as well as destroying Typhon for the Fold weapon had blown a hole that went deep to the planet's core, making it uninhabitable. The sacrifice hit the pilot hard and he thought it would be the end of BT. Fortunately, he was not meant to be as BT, surprisingly, made a copy of his personality and memories within Jack's helmet when he had to be inserted into it in order for Jack to communicate with the AI when he went back in time in order to continue the mission. With this copy, BT-7274 had returned to the fold and was reassigned to the pilot as his AI and friend. Speaking of BT, the pilot saw the Titan examining the body of another Titan, a wreckage from the battle that took place at Typhon before it got destroyed.

"Got anything, BT?" Asked the man as he approached his Titan. Looking at the pilot, the Titan stopped its investigation and knelt down.

"Negative, I have found nothing that can help us determine the strange energy surge coming from Typhon. This has lead me to believe that what our scanners have detected was a mere flare of energy from the fold weapon." Said BT. Nodding in agreement, the man wondered on how to report this to his CO.

"Let's just continue searching, buddy." Said the man as he motioned for his Titan to open up, which it did, opening up its torso to allow the pilot to get inside. Once he was inside, the Titan closed the hatch. "Let's check the last location before going back home, alright?"

"Understood, Jack." Said BT before marching towards the last location. The pilot, now known as Jack, sighed as he wondered on what was going on. Just a week ago, a Militia patrol had detected some strange readings from the ruined remains of Typhon. At first, they assumed it was some left over energy from the weapon that destroyed Typhon, but it kept showing up on scanners over and over again until the militia sent Jack and his Titan to examine it. As they were the ones that destroyed Typhon as well as having the most knowledge of the Fold weapon, they thought they knew more about the energies of the Fold weapon than they did. And to be fair, they were correct. BT had scanned the Fold weapon's power core before it was used, so they knew what they were looking for. However, aside from traces remnants that were scattered all over the wrecked remains of the planet, there was literally nothing of note on the planet aside from the massive hole that Jack made when he sabotaged the Fold weapon. Wondering what this energy source was, Jack thought that something was off. Eventually, the two made it to the last location that they were assigned to investigate. And what the found, surprised them.

Out in a small patch of floating rock, were large amounts of purple crystals that seemed to be pulsating with power. Stunned to see this, Jack talked to BT.

"Anything in your databanks about this, BT?" Asked Jack as the Titan cautiously walked closer to the anomaly.

"Negative. There are no natural minerals within Frontier space that are purple in color and glow this brightly."

"Could it be a result of the Fold weapon going off?" Asked Jack as they were now just meters from the crystals.

"Possibility, but the color does not match with the Fold weapon's energy. Something is amiss, Jack." Agreeing with BT, he was about to tell him to back off when suddenly the ground beneath them shook, sending BT crashing to the ground. As the Titan and pilot were recovering, the ground beneath them suddenly began forming cracks. Before the could do anything, the ground broke apart, sending them falling to a massive chasm. Seeing that they were falling to their deaths, BT was about to eject his Pilot when a massive portal, of the same color as the crystals, came out of nowhere and saved them. With its cargo, the portal closed, its purpose fulfilled.

* * *

**Well, there's two more characters that I'm planning to include in this. One is an elf that was included in one of my stories already done and the other is…well I'll give you this to figure out who he is.**

**Ahem…*coughs*…DOOMSPHERE! Yes-yes!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**Karak Angkul**

**World Edge's mountain**

* * *

Under the depths of the world edge's mountains, a large battle was playing out between two armies. One army was composed of, essentially, miniaturized humans, Dwarves as people would call them. These Dwarves were equipped with strong plate armor and weaponry that looked as if they were forged by an artist and not a blacksmith. They also had an arrange of siege weaponry that they were using to pound their enemy relentlessly along with some basic firearms and even flamethrowers. As if that wasn't enough, they even had rotary-winged aircraft that bombed the Dwarf's enemy from the air. All this was combined with the sheer discipline and durability these Dwarf seemed to have. They shrugged off the number of attacks that their enemy was throwing at them and they seemed to keep calm despite being outnumbered. All in all, it was a potent fighting force, if a bit archaic.

On the other side, the army was composed off, for lack of a better term, Ratmen. Aside from some variation between their brown fur, the Ratmen were all the same, appearance wise. They all wore basic leather or wooden armor, that all looked like it was scavenged or ramshackled together, to protect themselves. They all stood on their hindlegs and looked like they were half-starved. Their weapons were also of poor quality. All of their weapons had some semblance of rust of some kind or was broken in some way that prevented the weapons from reaching their full glory. As if that wasn't enough, their coordination and discipline was also sloppy. Whenever they seemed to lose on a front, the Ratmen fled, scared of death. And whenever the Dwarves charged, they too ran, only to charge again when reinforcement of the same quality of gear appeared to help them. Yet despite all this poor quality across the board, the Ratmen were holding. They significantly outnumbered their enemies to a ratio of twenty to one and it seemed more were coming to reinforce them if the sounds of screeching rats were of any indication. And that was a shame for it seems that the Dwarves aren't receiving any reinforcements anytime soon, meaning each warrior they lost was irreplaceable. And that was the greatest advantage that the Ratmen had over their foes for, no matter how many Rats were slain, there was always more. For that was the way of the Skaven and the Under-Empire. Even if a million of their kind was lost in a single battle, the Skaven will find such casualties acceptable if they achieve their military goal.

Currently that goal was to take the stronghold called Karak Angkul, the home of the Dwarves they were fighting. For weeks, both sides have been at each other's throats. The Skaven want to conquer Karak Angkul in order to use it as a staging ground to attack other Dwarf strongholds in the region as well as plundering its vast array of armor and weapons for themselves. The Dwarfs, ready to die for their home, fought back and held the Skaven onslaught at bay. Unfortunately for the Dwarfs, however, the Skaven onslaught was a mere diversion for something far more diabolical.

In a massive underground cave, far from the battles raging across in caves and tunnels that were closer to the surface, a single Skaven was working on a weapon of devastating proportions. The weapon, secured on a pedestal that kept it from hitting the ground, was a bronze sphere that had numerous spikes all over it. Between those spikes, were pieces of glass that allowed one to see the contents of the sphere. The contents were a large stockpile of crystals that glowed green. Though the crystals seemed harmless, they were far from harmless. These crystals contained volatile energy that, if used incorrectly, could cause devasting damage to anyone in the immediate area. And for the single occupant in the room, that was what he was hoping would happen.

Fiddling with a ramshackle console that looked like it would explode at any moment, the Skaven growled in himself as he pressed multiple buttons. This Skaven was far different to the ones that were fighting just above him.

Unlike them, he wore blue metal armor that, despite looking like it was just welded together by a child, protected his entire body immensely. The armor also seemed to be welded into his body as it hugged his body tightly, far more than a normal suit of armor should in order to provide comfort for the wearer. Along with that armor, came a mask that covered his skull and protected his head from blunt force and projectiles. The armor also had a large backpack, almost half the size of the Skaven himself, that had several tubes that connected with various parts of the armor, sending green fuel to it. The most shocking part of the Skaven's gear, however, was his left arm. Instead of a normal arm, the left arm was a metal claw that had a small project in the middle of it. This too was connected to the backpack that provided it with fuel, likely ammunition for the projector. To top it all off, the Rat had a massive halberd that was over twice his height. Next to the base of the blade, was a crystal of the same kind used in the sphere. Aside from the gear the rat had, he was also unique in that he had green eyes and white fur. While many civilizations would call him an abomination, to the Skaven, this was a sign that the rat was destined for greatness. And this rat was eager to prove that he was indeed destined for greatness. He was so eager to prove that he was the greatest of all Skaven. That he was destined to be the future ruler of his clan, overthrowing his current leader once he was done with creating an invention that would surpass even his greatness. While some would call this vanity or overambition, for Skaven this was natural. And indeed, this Skaven had the achievements to prove that he was indeed capable of taking command of his clan. For he was Ikit Claw, the Right-fang of Morskittar, the current ruler of Clan Skyre and a member of the council of thirteen, the rulers of all Skaven.

Ikit Claw was an ambitious Skaven, even more so than others of his kind. Like most of his clan, Ikit was a Warlock Engineer, a Skaven that combined technology and magic together to form a powerful hybrid of the two that could surpass the two when they're used individually. That is if this power doesn't kill them when they attempt to use it. Safety notwithstanding, Ikit, like other Warlock Engineers, constantly innovated and created terrifying weapons that, if working correctly, can prove far more devastating than anything their enemies have at their disposal. But unlike other Warlock Engineers, Ikit succeeded far more times than any other of his kind.

Indeed, it was because of him that the terrifying, if slightly comical, Doomwheel, a powerful weapon that has killed far more Dwarves that the race would like to admit, was born. He also helped increase the power and range of some of Skyre's most used and sold weapons, the Ratling Guns, the Jezzails, and the Warpfire throwers as well increasing their reliability so as to prevent them from exploding whenever a Skaven weapon team used them. They still explode, far more than what other civilizations would call useable and safe, but the fact that Ikit had improved their reliability at all demonstrated his brains and ingenuity. But all that will pale in comparison to his greatest and latest invention, which he was currently working on right now. Looking at his creation, Ikit chuckled darkly as he inspected the bronze sphere that was in front of him.

"Soon, my creation." Thought Ikit as he went back to work. "You will destroy-kill many beard-things! And when you do, all Skavendom will worship me! Ikit Claw!" The weapon that Ikit was so obsessed with was a weapon of terrible power. It was called the Doomsphere and it was perhaps the most dangerous invention and Skaven had invented as of yet. Through the use of sorcery, technology, and Warpstone, the green crystals inside the sphere, Ikit had created the first ever atomic bomb. Once unleashed, the weapon can, in Ikit's projections, destroy an entire mountain if placed in the correct spot. Such an invention will elevate him beyond even Morskittar as it will give the Skaven an enormous advantage against their enemies. No more will they have to rely on useless slaves and full body charges. No more will they have to worry about faulty equipment. Now, all they need to do was simply send a single Doomsphere on their enemies positions and they'll all die, lost to the explosion or warp residue.

Just thinking of the rewards that he would get for accomplishing this task, made Ikit giddy. With a watering mouth, the Skaven pressed a final button and soon a countdown initiated. Laughing manically, Ikit began to make his retreat. Many, if not all, the Skaven sent by the council of thirteen will die when it was activated but it didn't matter to Ikit. So long as he lived, then nothing of value will be lost this day. Of course, something will be lost if he didn't escape before the Doomsphere went off. Fortunately, he had his teleport device ready to transport him back to Skavenblight at the flick of a button. With another round of laughter, he was about to teleport out of his workshop when he heard the sound of his hated nemesis. The one that had kept preventing him from completing his beautiful creation. Looking over, Ikit growled as he saw a Dwarf, covered in thick armor and equipped with an axe, was Klarak Bronzehammer. How he got here was a mystery, but upon seeing him, Ikit glared at him, momentarily forgetting that he needed to leave.

"Ikit Claw! Your time is over!" Yelled Bronzehammer as he glared at Ikit Claw, who was standing just feet away from his terrible weapon, hands at a Skaven made console. Growling, Ikit stopped to glare back at Bronzehammer.

Though Ikit despised Dwarves, this particular Dwarf angered him more than others. For he had sabotaged his earlier efforts to create the Doomsphere. Three times at that. The first time was when he had tried to capture the engineers to Karak Drak in hopes to force them to help him build his Doomsphere. Bronzehammer stopped that attempt. The 2nd time, he actually forced Ikit from deploying an uncompleted Doomsphere in order to save his own life. Though the Doomsphere exploded, it wasn't nearly as good of an explosion as Ikit would have like. Even though he saved some data from the Dwarf before he came and ruined his efforts to create his precious weapon, the fact that Bronzehammer stopped him again really boiled his blood.

It was the 3rd time that really got to Ikit. This time, Ikit had a completed Doomsphere at his disposal. If it wasn't for that fool Thanquol, the Dwarves of Karak Angkul would be gone and the Skaven would have a new base of operations for invading other Karaks. All these attempts made Ikit hate Bronzehammer with a passion. So much so that he made it his life's goal to not only create the Doomsphere, but to also kill Bronzehammer. In a slow and painful manner. As Ikit glared at his rival, Bronzehammer looked at the Doomsphere.

Thank the ancestors that he made it in time. While the Dwarves of his Karak were distracting the main Skaven army, Bronzehammer had led a team of Dwarf Ironbreakers to kill his rival, Ikit Claw. Initially, Bronzehammer didn't think that Ikit was here. He thought this was a simple attack from Clan Mors, who were always eager to attack Dwarves and steal their weapons and armor. This was partly due to the fact that he didn't see many Skaven weapon teams and war machines, something that was a stable in a Skyre military group. But then he noticed large amount of barazhunk, a metal-alloy that he made, were being stolen by Skaven. Knowing that only one rat would want barazhunk, Bronzehammer convinced his king to allow him to go deeper into the Skaven lines to find Ikit Claw. And it appears he was right. Ikit Claw was here and it seemed he was recreating the Doomsphere yet again. Though he lost the Ironbreakers to various Skaven who remained behind to tend to their various weapons or were simply waiting for their time to head to battle, it was worth it to catch Ikit. Upon seeing another Doomsphere, Bronzehammer glared at Ikit with unmatched hatred. That foolish rat! Did he not know of what would happen should such a weapon be unleashed? If such a terrible weapon was unleashed, it could bring another Time of Woes! The Dwarf engineer refused to see that happen. Even if it meant his death, he won't stop until Ikit Claw was dead, thereby saving the world from his weapon of mass destruction. "You foolish Rat! Do you not see what that weapon of yours will do?! You will bring death and destruction upon us all!" Ikit simply growled at that.

"That is point-point, stupid beard-thing!" Yelled Ikit, pointing a metal claw at his rival. "The Doomsphere is made to destroy-kill the enemies of Skyre! With this device, all enemies of Skyre will be forced to either bow-submit to Skyre or be destroyed!" Shaking his head, Bronzehammer roared and charged at the Skaven, hoping to stop him before he could make his escape. Chuckling, Ikit used his magic to teleport him to safety. Much as he wanted to use his more technical method of transportation, it was still a prototype and can only safely transported an individual once. Something that Ikit learned when he used a slave to test his teleporter device. Landing several feet away from Bronzehammer, Ikit smirked at his rival.

"Its too late, Dwarf-thing!" Yelled Ikit Claw. "My greatest invention is already active-live! You don't have enough time to kill me and deactivate my creation! The dwarf-things of Karak Angkul will go up in flame-flame! And it was done by me-me! Ikit Claw!"

"Not if this Dwarf has anything to say about it!" Yelled Bronzehammer as he charged at Doomsphere. He may want Ikit Claw dead, but the safety of his Karak was more important than his grudge against the Skaven warlock. Upon seeing Bronzehammer going for his precious device, Ikit screamed in rage and pointed his powerful halberd, Storm Daemon, at the Dwarf. Within just seconds, the halberd glowed green as Warp energy gathered at the tip and the crystal at the base of the blade. With a yell, Ikit launched the gathered warp energy at Bronzehammer, sending a bolt of Warp lightning at the Dwarf. Anticipating the attack, Bronzehammer ducked under just in time for the warp lightning bolt to miss him, causing it to hit a wall, where it created a massive hole. Growling, Ikit charged at the Dwarf.

"**If he stop-halts my weapon now! I'll be the laughing stock of Clan Skyre!" **Thought Ikit as he fired warp fire from the projector within his claw. **"Worse yet, is that Morskittar would be furious with me-me!"** Ikit remembered the warning that Morskittar had given him before he embarked on his mission to complete the Doomsphere. The leader of Clan Skyre was annoyed that his right-hand rat was embarking on another journey to complete his Doomsphere. His last two endeavors in competing the weapon had ended in failures as well as costing them valuable Warpstone, the prized mineral of Skaven society. Not to mention that Ikit's obsession with recreating his terrible weapon had put them at odds with the other clans, more than usual. So, while Morskittar had allowed him to go on this endeavor to recreate his Doomsphere, he gave Ikit a warning. Fail again, and Ikit will be replaced.

Not wanting to lose his valuable position as Morskittar's right hand rat, even if he was making plans to overthrow the current leader of Clan Skyre, Ikit was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the success of his weapon. And if that meant endangering his life to ensure that it went off, so be it.

Charging at Bronzehammer, Ikit opened up his metal claw, revealing his projector, which glowed before firing a stream of green fire that threatened to melt Bronzehammer. This was one of Ikit's many tricks. Though he replaced his left hand for a metal claw after a freak laboratory experiment, that Ikit would claim was to replace his arm, in order to make use of his left arm again, Ikit wasn't satisfied. No, he wanted more than just an arm. So, he inserted a miniaturized version of a warpfire projector into the claw, one of his more successful projects that he kept to himself. Though it held only a small number of shots, the projector was just as dangerous as a full sized warpfire thrower that was used by their weapon teams. Bronzehammer, as Ikit predicted, jumped to avoid the flame of warpfire, leaving him wide open to an attack from Ikit. With a roar, Ikit tackled the Dwarf to the ground. Shocked that the Skaven had went into melee combat so eagerly, Bronzehammer couldn't react in time before Ikit rammed his halberd into his Gromril armor. Fortunately for the Dwarf, Gromril was the strongest material available to the Dwarves so the halberd only made a small dent. Thanking his ancestors, Bronzehammer grabbed Ikit by the throat and attempted to snap his neck.

Ikit, anticipating this, just fired a small stream of warpfire from his warpfire projector. The fire sprayed all over Bronzehammer's armor, causing him to let go of Ikit in a panic. As Bronzehammer scrambled to take off his armor before it could grow hot enough to burn him, Ikit chuckled. He had used the durability of Gromril against Bronzehammer. Because of its strength, it took several minutes for a stream of warpfire to actually melt the armor. While this was bad in the eyes of some, Ikit saw a way to adapt. Instead of melting the armor, why not just heat it to the point that the wearer would burn alive from wearing it, forcing them to either discard their armor to stay alive, thus leaving them vulnerable to attack, or leaving it on and risk dying from their own set of armor. To Ikit's disappointment, Bronzehammer managed to remove his armor without it burning him too much. Once he took his armor off, Bronzehammer glared at Ikit.

"That was an heirloom of my family!" Yelled Bronzehammer as he brandished his axe. That Gromril armor was used by his family since the Time of Woes. His father and his father used it against the Greenskin tide and various Skaven onslaughts. And now Ikit had ruined it, adding another reason for him to kill the Skaven as well as adding another offense to the book of grudges. Charging again, Bronzehammer roared a battle roar, eager to take the head of Ikit. Grinning, Ikit sidestepped as Bronzehammer tried to cleave his head in two. Roaring in rage, Bronzehammer continued to attack. As Ikit either blocked or dodged Bronzehammer's attacks, he did something that no one thought a Skaven would do. Troll his opponent.

"You call that an attack-hit?" Taunted Ikit as he blocked a swing of Bronzehammer's axe with his halberd's blade. "Even a Skaven slave can do better than you-you! You bring shame-disappoint your clan more-more than I-I could ever do!" Roaring in barely controlled anger, Bronzehammer continued to try and hit Ikit with each failed hit furthering increasing his anger, making him sloppy and easier to predict. As he continued to dodge, Ikit could barely contain the want to grin. Ever since the 3rd time that Bronzehammer had sabotaged his efforts to make a Doomsphere, Ikit had went into great thought. Not into inventing things, no, but thinking of ways to beat-kill Bronzehammer so that he would stop getting in his way.

He thought and thought of many ways to kill Bronzehammer. Some plans involved sending Eshin, the Skaven clan of assassins, assassins to kill Bronzehammer. Others include killing him by sending a doom rocket on top of his head. All plans, to Ikit's frustration only failed or didn't have a high enough chance to kill Bronzehammer or at least confirm his death. He went through countless plans, modifying or tossing them away when they proved to be failures, and he would have kept doing so until he went to Clan Mors, on the request of Morskittar, to assist them in dealing with some Dwarves that were getting too close to Mors's territory. Officially the assistance was because Morskittar was wanted dead Dwarves, but Ikit, being the smart Skaven he was, knew the real reason. Morskittar wanted to test out the new improved Ratling guns, which featured a new autoloading contraption that allowed it to be crewed by only one Skaven, on the Dwarves. While most Skaven that used the new Ratling guns died, more due to mechanical failure than anything else, Morskittar called the guns a success as they killed many Dwarves with the guns, around a hundred and fifty when compared to the ninety that they lost. But that wasn't the important part. No, the important part was what he learned that day that made him see the best way to kill Bronzehammer.

It was a stroke of luck, really, though if you asked Ikit, he would claim that it was a message from the Horned Rat, the god of the Skaven, himself. At the very height of the battle, Queek Headtaker, the leader for the Clan Mors troops, went face to face against the leader of the Dwarf army, a Dwarf lord by a name that Ikit forgot. The Dwarf lord, seeing the battle was going to the Skaven, tried to kill the leaders, which were Ikit and Queek, in hopes that it would cause the Skaven to rout. Amused at the time, Ikit allowed Queek, who was eager to gain another trophy to his collection, to fight the Dwarf lord. At first, Ikit assumed that Queek would win with ease, the Dwarf didn't look like a good fighter when compared to the likes of the Dwarf king Belegar Ironhammer, someone that Queek was eager to take the head of, but then he saw something that shocked and intrigued him. As they fought, the Dwarf lord had began to insult Queek and his collection, calling him vain, stupid, or someone that was compensating for something. While the insults didn't work at first, when the Dwarf lord had begun to instigate that Queek acquired the heads via means to trickery and deceit, not through actual combat, Queek lost it and began to fight blindly and madly. While this made Queek much more dangerous should a blow from his weapon, Dwarf Gouger, connect with the Dwarve's body, it also made it easy to predict his moves and attacks.

Eventually Queek made a near fatal mistake by thrusting at the Dwarf, who dodged the attack, before disarming Queek by slamming his hammer into the Skaven's gut. The Skaven warlord would have died then and there, if it weren't for Ikit, who used his Storm Daemon to launch a magic bolt of Warp lightning at the Dwarf, who was too busy being in awe at having actually beaten Queek Headtaker. The bolt killed the Dwarf as it pierced his helmet and went out his head, straight into some of Queek's red guard, who were rushing to save their master. Pride wounded, Queek took it upon himself to slaughter the remaining Dwarf commanders as they fled, their discipline broken when their leader died. As Queek led their troops in slaughtering their enemies, Ikit went into thought.

Queek was a powerful duelist, probably the most powerful in all of Skavendom. To think that simple words were able to make him sloppy enough to cause an inexperienced Dwarf lord to actually beat him, even kill him if Ikit wasn't there, caused Ikit to think a great deal. What if he used such a tactic against Klarak Bronzehammer? Would he fall to such a tactic just like Queek did? Would it make him sloppy enough to allow Ikit, who wasn't as good as a fighter as Bronzehammer, to beat him? If so, then it was something that Ikit needed to devout time to research and practice.

For months since that day, Ikit had been researching the pride of the Dwarves, to see what would cause them to go into an uncontrollable rage. He even spent considerable amounts of Warpstone tokens to pay off Eshin assassins to take Dwarf books and objects of their culture so that he can understand their way of thinking. Eventually, he managed to figure out the most effective ways to anger a Dwarf. Through testing of various Dwarves the Skaven had captured, Ikit had found the most effective ways to send a Dwarf into an uncontrollable rage.

And it seems to be paying off now as Bronzehammer's attacks were getting more and more sloppy as Ikit continued to taunt and anger the Dwarf.

"Ha!" Yelled Ikit as he effortless dodged a slice from Bronzehammer's axe. "You fight-fight like breeder! Sloppy and without aim! Don't even deserve armor from clan! Bring shame-shame for even wearing it!" Roaring for umpteenth time, Bronzehammer tossed his axe away and tackled Ikit, who was laughing at his plan working that he didn't see the Dwarves sudden change in tactics, to the ground. Punching the rat, Bronzehammer poured all his hate and anger of the rat into his punches. After punching the rat a dozen times, Bronzehammer watched as the rat groaned in pain. Seeing that he was too much in pain to recognize him, Bronzehammer reached went to grab his axe. Upon picking it up, however, he suddenly jerked as a halberd pierced his chest. Looking down at his bloody chest in shock, Bronzehammer turned to see Ikit running over to him. Grabbing his halberd and pulling it out, Ikit yelled out as he jumped in the air, supported by his backpack that fired up green flames from exhaust ports that were located at the lower end of the backpack, before slamming his halberd into Bronzehammer's head, sending the blade of Ikit's magic halberd into Bronzehammer's brain, killing Ikit's rival once and for all. Reveling at finally killing his rival, Ikit began to laugh manically as he began to stab and cut up his rival. As he made each cut and slice, Ikit felt a source of satisfaction that he never had since he begun his Doomsphere project. After cutting off the head of Bronzehammer, Ikit went to grab the Dwarf's armor, a fitting trophy that he'll use to improve his own armor. After placing his hands on the armor, Ikit looked at his Doomsphere, which was now close to detonating. Grinning, Ikit made a mock salute to Bronzehammer.

"**You try-try to stop me-me, beard-thing, but as always, Ikit has proven to be superior to all!" **Thought Ikit before laughing manically again. Just as he was about to teleport himself away, Ikit heard the sounds of…something below him. Looking down, Ikit was in shock at seeing a purple circle thing below him. Before he could do anything, the circle thing pulled him in with his trophy. With its prize, the circle thing was gone. Just in time too as the Doomsphere went off after the circle thing closed. Which was a shame too as Ikit would have loved to hear the reports that came after it detonated. For Karak Angkul, the home of Bronzehammer, was completely destroyed.

* * *

**Some forest**

* * *

Deep in a forest, a seemingly young woman was groaning as she lay on a bed. She was, honestly, quite attractive. With light green eyes that were like emeralds that matched her similarly colored hair, she was quite the looker. Something that should be expected as she was an elf, a race of immortal humanoids with knife-shaped ears. While some humans have romanticized views on Elves, thinking they are pure and perfect, this was far from the truth. Something that this elf was supporting.

"**Stupid parents."** Thought the Elf as she got up, ruffling her hair in frustration. **"Why the hell are they interfering with my life now!? They didn't have a problem with me going adventuring with other races before, but now they have a problem?" **Before we go further, it should be explained what the elf's occupation is and why she was so down.

The elf was an adventure, which was essentially a mercenary as adventures were people that either fought or worked for people in exchange for momentary value. And as with most groups that fought monetary gain, some were only for the money while others fought for their own morals while also gaining some monetary gain for their actions. The elf was in the latter category along with her group of fellow adventurers. For the past year and a half, the group of adventurers had done their fair share of good deeds and jobs that not only helped themselves but also protect the weak from the dangers that inhabit the world. And for a time, things were good. She got along with her fellow teammates, drank and had fun with them, as well as exploring the world, something that she always wanted to do when she was young. Unfortunately, it seemed everything was coming down now. Much sooner than she would expect and like.

Her parents, curse them, were demanding for her to return back to the forest and settle down with another elf. They claimed that her time as an adventurer was over and that it was time for her to raise a family. Needless to say, that pissed her off to no end, especially when they threatened to post a job for adventurers to force her to come back. Not wanting her friends to be hurt over something so stupid, the elf returned home and argued with her parents, who stood firm in their decision that it was time for her to stop being an adventurer and start family life, even though she could hold back family life for literally millennias as her kind can live forever, only being killed by conventional diseases or injuries. So far, they only allowed her to continue adventuring if it was with other elves and not other races, something that angered her. After arguing with them for hours, she stormed off to her room when she realized that they weren't going to listen to her. So now, she was sulking in her room, wondering what to do.

Scoffing, she got up and went to grab her signature bows, which was probed up on the door, along with her quiver of arrows and her knives. **"Might as well go out and do something. Heard that Goblins are around the forest. Might as well find them and kill them."** Grabbing her cloak, she ventured out of her room, intending to sneak out without her parent's knowledge.

* * *

**Few hours later**

* * *

"***Sighs* This isn't even a fight."** Thought the elf as she fired an arrow at a retreating goblin, watching as the arrow pierced the monster's head, splattering blood everywhere. The sight of seeing another of their kind being killed caused the other Goblins to cry out in fear before running in a myriad of directions. If they were better coordinated or smarter, they would have realized that their attacker was on top of a tree, sniping them from afar. Though it probably wouldn't have better as none of them had bows and arrows and the elf was too high in the air for the Goblins to throw their weapons high enough to hit her. **"Must be wanderers that lost their nest. Wonder if Goblin Slayer was the one that killed them."** Thinking of one of her party members, the Elf began to mope. If her parents forced her to give up adventuring, she'll never be able to see him again along with the others, including that insufferable Dwarf. She'll miss the Lizardman and his obsession with cheese. She'll miss that cute little priestess that was so naïve and adorable. She'll even miss that insufferable Dwarf and his remarks on her small chest. But most of all she'll miss that idiot in armor that stole her heart. Sighing, she was about to aim her bow on another goblin when she heard something form behind. Turning around, the elf gasped in shock at seeing a purple circle behind her. Her ears twitching, the Elf went out to touch it, curiosity overtaking her. When she touched it, however, the circle began to force her inside, causing her to cry out in shock. Trying to take back her arm, the elf couldn't do anything but watch as the circle sucked her in before closing.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Somewhere**

* * *

Somewhere, deep underwater, a deep voice was laughing as the last of its chosen were sucked through its portals. Now was the time to initiate the next phase of its plan.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**R reyes- No. I read that fic yes, but it didn't actually have any inspiration for this fic.**

**Also so that people know where these characters are from, I'll just list their franchises here:**

**Halo- Master Chief and Cortana**

**Titanfall- Jack Cooper and BT**

**Fallout- Courier and ED-E**

**Warhammer fantasy- Ikit Claw**

**Goblin Slayer- High Elf Archer**

* * *

**Broken ship**

* * *

"Chief! Wake up! I need you!" That was what the man in the cryopod heard as he slowly woke up from cryosleep. Upon fully waking up, he slammed his fists at the glass of the cryopod. The glass held, much to the man's annoyance. Fortunately, the pod then opened up, revealing his AI companion, who smiled.

"Get up, sleepy head. Its time to get back to work." Said the AI. Getting up, the man went to a nearby terminal. "It got a data disc in it. I'll transfer to it right now." With that the AI went away. After a second, the man ejected the disc inside the terminal and then inserted it into the back of his helmet. Upon completing this task, the AI showed up on his hud. "Ready to get back to work?"

"Always." Said the man as he looked at the terminal's glass screen, revealing the man to be a beast of a human. With his green and black armor, he stood taller than seven feet, eclipsing most humans. His armor was a full black body suit that was covered in thick, green armor. His helmet had a golden visor that give him full view of his surroundings. Overall, he was an impressive figure. Moving away from the terminal, the man went to his cryopod and took out the weapon that was besides it. Examining the weapon revealed it to be a bull-pup rifle design with a holographic screen that indicated the amount of ammo that it had left in its clip. Taking out the clip, the man examined the bullets as well as the weapon itself, checking for any faults or errors in either, before reinserting the clip and pulling the bolt on the side of the rifle, chambering a round. Now armed, the man began to leave the room and to the backup bridge. The primary bridge of the ship was lost when the ship was cut in half.

"What's going on?" Asked the man as he made his way to the bridge.

"Well, we landed on a planet. An uninhabited planet, if the scans I did before we crashed are reliable." The man frowned at that. That wouldn't have caused his friend to wake him up. If this planet was uninhabited, she would have let him stay frozen to preserve his life, so that when help did come, he could still be useful to the human military. Something must have went wrong.

"Cortana, there's more to this, isn't there?" The Aim now known as Cortana, nodded.

"Yup. We didn't get here from a standard crash. We got here when a portal just opened up and sucked us in. We were to close for me to do anything. Then after we got sucked in, our ship crashed into an island. A rather nice one, actually." Upon hearing the portal, the man stopped.

"Was it a slipspace portal?" Cortana shook her head, frowning.

"No. Unlike a normal slipspace portal, this one was purple in color. So, unless someone found a way to change the colors of a slipspace portal, something else brought us here." That caused the man to tighten his hold on his rifle. This sounded like someone brought them here intentionally. The facts pointed at it. The question was, who and why did they do it? Couldn't be the Flood gravemind, it was destroyed the moment the Halo ring fired, destroying it and its minions. And it couldn't be leftover covenant forces. This sounded far beyond what they could do. No, it had to be something different. Something he never faced before. Whatever it was, he was ready for it. He may not survive, but he rather die than be a servant to something that will threaten humanity. But first, getting information on his surroundings.

"We'll worry about what brought us latter. For now, we need to get power back to the ship's systems as well as finding where we are. Anything I need to do?" Cortana sighed at that.

"Well, the ship's reactors are on the fritz. We need to repair those before we could get more power from this ship. So, let's just head to the backup bridge. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some information on our surroundings from there." Nodding, the man made his way to the bridge. Once there, he walked to a nearby console and inserted the data disc into it. Once inside the ship's systems again, Cortana went to work.

"Hmm…interesting." Said Cortana before appearing in her avatar. "Apparently there's a human research station nearby along with an outpost. The problem is that neither aren't transmitting in any known UNSC frequencies." That caused the man to look at the AI.

"Rebels?" He had heard of people still fighting the UNSC, even while they were fighting for humanities survival. Cortana shook her head.

"I don't think so. From what I gathered; neither the station or outpost are insurrection bases. I'll know more when I get into their systems. I'll mark the location on your HUD." Nodding, the man reinserted the disc into his helmet before leaving to find a way out of the ship.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

Jack groaned as he stirred inside his Titan.

"Are you alright Jack?" Asked BT as he detected Jack waking up.

"Yeah, I'm awake." Said Jack as he shook his head. Once he got his bearings, he looked around his cockpit, finding it completely dark. "Anything wrong BT?"

"Negative. I simply turned all lights in the cockpit to allow you to sleep more comfortably." With that the cockpit lit up, allowing Jack to see as well as revealing their surroundings. Seeing such greenery and water around them, made Jack realize that they weren't in Typhon anymore.

"What the heck happened BT?" Asked Jack, shock to see all this. He then ejected from the cockpit so that he could see it all for himself.

"I am not sure myself, Jack." Said BT, the Titan looking around them, just as confused as his pilot. "One moment we were falling to our doom, the next we crashed onto a beach somewhere."

"Think this is an IMC trick?" Asked Jack as he touched the sand while keeping an eye on his environment, praying that a sniper wasn't around.

"Negative, I detected no IMC communications aside from a distress beacon. Along with that I'm receiving another one that doesn't correspond with any known frequencies" Upon hearing that, Jack perked up.

"A distress beacon?"

"Affirmative. There's a distress beacon coming deeper inside the nearby jungle." BT pointed at the forest behind them. "However, the distress beacon is several years old. Its been transmitting for at least two years."

"Two years, huh?" Said Jack as he got up. "I'm guessing help didn't arrive and they either died from starvation or from something native."

"Both are a possibility." Said BT before bringing out his weapon, a massive chain gun-like assault rifle. "In either case, we should investigate. We may find an active ship inside whatever facility the IMC have." Nodding in agreement, Jack hopped onto BT before they disembarked for the IMC distress beacon.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

The courier scratched his head as he looked around him. While he had seen greenery before in Vault 22 and on Zion, neither was like this. For one he never seen such…natural grass before nor did he see such tall trees before.

"Well, this is certainly interesting, huh ED-E?" The courier's friendly robot beeped in confirmation. "The OSI and Followers would want to hear about this place. The only problem is, where the heck are we?" That portal was such a strange occurrence, even more than his usual adventures, that he wondered if he should make it a rule to not touch things that he has no knowledge on. Looking around his surroundings again, he looked at his pipboy, glad that it was still working. With it still working, he began to check for radio signals, hoping to use them to trace any remnant of civilization. To his surprise, he got something.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Enclave station 4! We're under attack from some unknown human hostiles and…some sort of rat people! They've killed most of the soldiers stationed here! We need assistance! Any assistance!" The message kept repeating itself form there, but the Courier heard all he needed to hear.

He knew of the Enclave. They were the ones that built his robotic friend, after all. But that wasn't the only thing he knew about them, no, he knew a lot about them from his Arcade Gannon, who was the son of an officer of the Enclave. Though Arcade was technically a member of the Enclave, he was disgusted with their actions. He told the Courier stories of how Enclave soldiers would kill civilians that have already surrendered, deeming them subhuman, as well as how they experimented with humans just to see if they had any genetic purity in them. And that wasn't all, the remnant, former Enclave soldiers that fled when the NCR destroyed the Enclave, had told him more stories of the atrocities of the Enclave, telling him how they encouraged soldiers to kill civilians and how they killed just for the fun of it. Needless to say, he didn't have a good view on the Enclave. Still, the fact he was getting a transmission from anything, meant that something else was here and he was determined to find something that can help him get off this place, whatever this place was.

"**If Enclave are here, then maybe I can steal their Vertibird. That is if they even have one."** Sighing, the Courier asked ED-E to trace the location of the transmission, which it did eagerly. Following the robot, the Courier suddenly get a gut feeling that his life was about to get more complicated than never before.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Come on!" Yelled the elf as she tried to examine her surroundings, in hopes to find out where she was. To her frustration, she couldn't find anything that can help her figure out where she was. Yelling out in anger, she grabbed some grass and threw it in the air. Ruffling her hair, she began to throw a tantrum. "Stupid parents! Its because of them that I got sucked into a portal and transported to some forest that I have no knowledge on! Once I get back, they better be sorry and let me go adventuring with who I want!" Once that was done, she calmed down enough to look at her surroundings again.

"**Okay."** Thought the elf as she looked around again. **"Now that is out of my system, let's see if I can't get out of this forest, I may find some civilization once I do."** With that, she choose a direction and began to walk to said direction. As she walked she heard suddenly began to smell something foul. Gagging, she began to cover her nose in disgust. **"What the hell is that stench?"** At first she thought it was Goblin feces, something that she was unfortunately used to smelling, but this smell was, unfortunately, different. It smelled like…decaying flesh. Much to her reluctance, she began to venture to where she smell was the strongest. Eventually she arrived to the source and was shocked at what she found.

At a large clearing in the forest, was a large graveyard of bodies, all scattered around. Shocked and horrified at the carnage, the elf walked around the bodies to get a better understanding of what was going on, her curiosity and want to know what happened eclipsing her fear and horror of what happened. After a few minutes, she got some understanding of what happened.

A massive battle happened here that saw the deaths of most, if not all, the combatants here. And from the uniforms of the combatants, there were three, with two being human. The 3rd race was, shockingly, a race of biped rats, whose bodies eclipsed the other two smaller, but more heavily armed, sides. The race of rats was a shock to her as, according to her race's long history, there were no such thing as sentient rats. There were giant rats, yes, but never ones that were bipeds and used weapons that looked like they came from the garbage with how rusty and crooked their swords, knives, and spears looked. But while they were a shock, the two human sides were just as shocking to her.

One side used fully armored, wearing thick black armor, that made the armor of some adventurers look puny in comparison. Their helmets, whose design scared her with how inhuman it looked, fully covered their heads. If it wasn't for the fact one wasn't wearing a helmet, she would have thought them to be some other race. None of them used swords or other types of melee weapons. Instead, to her shock, they all had some strange devices that had various glowing green lights on them along with various wires and pipes around the weapon that piqued her interest, though she refrained from touching the, obviously dangerous, weapons. She may be curious of the weapons, but she wasn't going to touch something she had no knowledge on. She learned that the hard way when she first examined a crossbow for the first time.

The last side was human, even with all that armor that was completely foreign to the elf and different from the other side. Unlike the other side, their armor was slimmer, giving them more mobility. They also had a myriad of head gear with some hearing helmets that covered their entire head while others had helmets that just protected their head and didn't cover their faces. Unlike the black armored humans, these had more streamlined weapons that didn't have the lights and pipes on them. Looking at the combatants, the elf had only one thing on her mind.

"**What the hell happened here?" **Thought the elf as she was about to leave. She was about to leave when she heard a loud alarm coming from somewhere. Her ears twitching, she looked to where the commotion was coming from. Curious and wondering if anyone else was here, she ran towards the sound.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Few minutes before**

* * *

Ikit groaned as he got up. Shaking his head, he looked around, finding, to his shock a clean and advanced looking room filled with shiny objects that made the rat jealous. Growling, he began to check his body, checking to see if anything was missing. Relieved that nothing was gone, he grabbed his halberd and the Gromril armor that he took from Bronzehammer before examining this strange room that made him envious. As he checked the various objects, some of which he had never before seen, his curiosity and greed grew.

"**So much knowledge here-here."** Thought Ikit as he looked around the room, filled with myriad of objects that Ikit wanted to study. **"Much to take-take and study." **Making a mental note to find this place again, he began to tinker with his teleporter, hoping to use it to get back to Skavenblight, the capital of the Skaven empire. To his frustration, however, his teleporter fizzled out and broke. Yelling in frustration, he ripped the teleporter from his person and threw it across the floor.

"**Stupid slave-slaves! Must have broken it before I could use-use!"** Thought Ikit before changing his plans. Without his teleporter, he would have to find Skavenblight on his own. Without knowledge on where he was, it would be dangerous for him to use his magic to teleport. The distance may be too much for him own magic reserves to handle. If he tried to teleport a distance that he can't handle, he'll be torn apart by the winds of magic. Not wanting such a fate, Ikit decided to find his own way back, something that he was used to doing as he often plundered secrets from locations far beyond the range of the Skaven underempire. Dropping the Gromril armor, Ikit made his way to the door. Looking at the strange door, which was a myriad of metal and glass, Ikit tried to open it, only to find it wasn't budging. After the fifth time in attempting to get it open, Ikit growled before taking some steps back. Once he was a safe distance from the door, he aimed Storm Daemon and charged it up. Once fully charged, he fired a bolt at the door, breaking it. The bolt, however, kept going and melted through two walls of metal. Tilting his head at the damage he done, Ikit made a note to check Storm Daemon after this. It shouldn't be that powerful, though Ikit didn't mind. More power was good in the Skaven's eyes. Unfortunately, the destroyed walls and door caused alarms to blare out, frustrating the rat as he tried to block the sound as he walked.

After a few minutes, the rat yelled out in annoyance before readying his warpfire projector, intending to destroy the source of what was causing the noise. Before he could do so, however, he heard the sounds of someone walking, however. Getting ready for combat, Ikit waited until he saw whoever he heard come into his vision. Once they did, however, Ikit was surprised to see some metal things coming at him.

They were bipedal in design, walking on two legs. They were completely plated in metal armor, but from the joints, Ikit could see wires coming out, indicating that these were mechanical in nature. Their heads were narrow box-shaped with a large bump forming on the forward end of the head. In their hands were a short-barreled gun that looked far more clean than the Skaven Jezails. Upon seeing them, Ikit's brilliant mind went to work.

If these things were true mechanical beings, then he should take one for study back to Skavenblight. He knew that some Warlock Engineers had made it their life's work to make mechanical soldiers as a way to supplant or replace their endless numbers. Something that Morskittar always approved as mechanical soldiers can prove Clan Skyre's superiority and importance to the rest of the Skaven clans. Unfortunately, all attempts have always failed with the engineers ended up dead from experiments or having died from jealous rivals that were attempting to do the same. Ikit, himself, dappled on the attempt to make robotic soldiers, but he never really indulged on it, too focused on his Doomsphere and other projects that had, somehow, more value to the Skaven than creating something that wasn't needed in the Skaven military.

But seeing these mechanical beings greatly made Ikit's desire to indulge on the project once again. If he could take them apart and learn their secrets, he could easily replicate the secrets of their making, thus giving him even more fame from the other Skaven as not only the one that created the Doomsphere but also creating mechanical soldiers. Laughing manically, he fired a bolt of warp lightning at the group of mechanical beings just as they raised their guns at him, taking out six of the eight that were there, creating large holes on the ones that were hit directly by the bolt or sending them flying to the walls nearby, deactivating them if their glowing eyes going out was any indication. With that done, he then charged at the remaining two, who opened fire at him. Unfortunately for them, their bullets didn't have the penetration power needed to actually pierce Ikit's armor, which had been magically reinforced to protect him from even cannon shots that were fired from human empire cannons. Ikit tried to once, though it did made Ikit want not to test it again, his body was sore for an entire weak after that.

Tackling one to the ground, he rammed his halberd into the thing's chest, causing sparks to fly as the robot deactivated. With this one dead, Ikit tossed his halberd at the last one, impaling the thing onto the wall, causing it to drop its weapon from the force. As the robot tried to grab Ikit as he made his way to it in a futile way to kill him, Ikit grinned before grabbing his halberd and pulling it out, freeing the robot. But before it could attack again, Ikit rammed his halberd into the robot's head, killing it. With all his enemies dead, Ikit looked at the dead robots and their weapons, greed in his eyes.

"**This strange-mysterious place is even more interesting than I-I thought."** Thought Ikit as he resumed his walk, knowing that he needed to find a way out first before ransacking this place for anything of interest for him. As he walked, the alarms suddenly stopped. As much as Ikit appreciated this, he couldn't help but stop. **"Why-why they stop-stop? Someone else is here-here?"** As Ikit wondered why the alarms stopped, he suddenly heard the sounds of a door opening. Thinking it was another group, Ikit got ready for a fight as he ran towards where he heard the noise come from. As he ran, he heard another door open and the sounds of guns being readied. Intrigued, Ikit eventually opened a door of his room by ramming into it, stumbling on a large room filled with guns and some vehicles of such large size that it made Ikit's doomwheel look small. While he would normally be intrigued at these, the two, make that three, intrigued him more.

Two were humans, wearing armor that was far different than the ones that come from the human empire or those from Bretonnia. The 3rd was a small robot that floated in the air. Again, Ikit was intrigued to learn its secrets. Upon seeing the massive guns that both had, one had a large gun that was comparable to the Jezzails in size on its back while the other had a massive gatling gun that reminded Ikit of the Ratling gun except this one was wielded by a single occupant, made Ikit think twice of fighting them. Deciding to be sneaky, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't-don't kill me-me." Said Ikit in a pleading tone while also adopting a begging posture. As much as Ikit was disgusted in begging, it was something that he could do. During his travels in the strange human lands of the east, Ikit learned that the humans in those lands were gullible. Despite his appearance, they treated him like a beggar in need and provided him food and water whenever he begged or requested for nourishment. He even managed to score some secrets to making more potent explosives by simply begging a blacksmith, at least he thought it was a blacksmith, to teach him the ways of black smithing, something that always astounded Ikit. Though he could have easily taken the ways by force, he was in an experimental mood that day and tried it. He didn't honestly think it would work, but it did. So, seeing that he would be beaten by these two, unless they focused each other first, he tried to beg so he could get close and kill them.

Much to his surprise and intrigue, the one human wearing a strange coat and helmet with glowing red eyes, spoke in a muffled tone.

"Don't try that trick with me." Said the man as he aimed his gun on Ikit. "Seen the telltale signs of someone using this trick to get something too many times to be fooled by it." Agreeing with him, the other one aimed his smaller, but equally as impressive as the bigger gun on his back, gun at Ikit. "So, drop the act and lower your…weapon." Growling at being ordered around, Ikit lowered his weapon, realizing he was outmatched. With his weapon gone but not his magic or warpfire projector, Ikit looked at the two, who relaxed. "Okay, first introductions." The man with strange red glowing eyes pointing at him and his robot buddy. "My name is Courier, don't ask about it, and this is my friend ED-E. What's yours?" Upon seeing neither Ikit or the other tall being not talking, Courier sighed. "Look, I get neither of you trust me, but if we're going to get any common ground then we need to speak our names or something that we can use. So please." Sensing the pleading tone, something that intrigued Ikit, usually humans didn't try to negotiate with Skaven, Ikit spoke.

"I-I am chief warlock Ikit Claw! Right-claw of Morskittar, leader of Clan Skyre. Inventor of the Doomsphere and Doomwheel! Killer of Bronzehammer! Scourge of…" To Ikit's frustration and anger, Courier interrupted him.

"With respect, great warlock." Said Courier. "Can we just address you as Ikit Claw? No need for titles." Glaring at Courier, Ikit pointed a metal claw at Courier, who actually winced at the glare.

"Don't interrupt me-me again! Me-me more important than you-you! Interrupt me again-again, then I blast you with warpfire!" As if to demonstrate his point, Ikit opened up his claw hand revealing a small projector on the palm of the hand. Upon seeing it, the currently unnamed figure raised his gun in response. Wincing at how fast he reacted, Ikit raised his other hand before pointing at a door. Firing his warpfire projector at the door, the two humans watched as the projector fired green fire at the door, which melted as soon as the fire touched the door. Demonstrating his power, Ikit closed his metal palm and looked at Courier, who was shaken at the display of power. "So, don't interrupt me-me!"

"Okay." Said Courier, realizing just how vain the rat thing was. Realizing that he could use this to keep the rat calm and appeased, Courier decided to salvage the situation by addressing the reason he said what he did. "I meant no offense Ikit Claw. I simply said that because my poor brain can't handle all your titles. After all, no one has as many accomplishments as you." Smiling, Ikit couldn't help but snicker in his mind. He knew what the human was trying to do. It was a common tactic in Skaven society, after all. The lesser being would attempt to stroke the ego of his better, in hopes of forgiveness or leniency. Sometimes it would work, largely because of arrogance of the higher up that couldn't sense the musk of his underling, but Ikit wasn't that arrogant. He could see right through the human's attempt. Still, since he knew his place, Ikit decided to be lenient.

"Good-good. Next time, I-I won't be so lenient!" Yelled Ikit as he jumped a bit at his proclamation. With that, he looked at the last being in the room, who still had his gun aimed at Ikit. Normally this would enrage a Skaven warlord, Gray Seer, or Warlock engineer, but Ikit felt something was off with this one. He couldn't place it, but he felt like this one could easily kill him and the others with ease. He would have to be cautious around him. Yes-yes. Tilting his head, Ikit demanded the currently mysterious figure to speak and introduce themselves. Looking at the two, well three, beings in the room, the figure lowered his gun and spoke.

"John-117." Said the armored man in a gruff yet awe-inspiring voice. Courier looked at the name.

"117? You military?" Asked Courier. The man nodded. "So what faction? Enclave? Brotherhood of Steel?" He only spoke of those two factions because they were the only ones that the Courier knew that had access to power armor, something that this John fellow seemed to be wearing. Though given how slim to was compared to the suits that he saw from both organizations, he got a feeling that he wasn't with them. Unsurprisingly, the man shook his head.

"I've never heard of either organization." Said John as he looked at Courier. "Do you know of the UNSC?" Courier shook his head.

"Doesn't ring a bell." Said Courier. "Is that some pre-war organization that survived." To Courier's surprise and anxiety, the man completely turned to the man. As the man continued to stare, the Courier got nervous. While he was a force to be on the battlefield, no doubt on that, he got the feeling that this man was on a whole other level than anything that he had ever faced before. And that he could easily kill him without even trying. The Courier then felt relief when he stopped staring and looked at the rat, who was also examining John, but with scientific interest. But it wasn't like Arcade or the Follower's of the Apocalypse, who wanted to use technology for the sake of bettering the lives of others. No. It was more akin to Hildern of the OSI, who cared about acquiring technology to boost their own standing within the government, no matter how unethically the technology was produced. This rat didn't care about others nor using technology to help those in need. He only seemed to care about himself and how to use technology to destroy his enemies, something that put the Courier on edge. Subtly putting a hand on his hidden revolver, he made a note to take out the rat should he prove to be hostile. Unfortunately, while he was thinking on strategies to take out the rat, said rat was conversing with John.

"You-you! Know this place-place?" Demanded the rat as he bounced. When John shook his head, Ikit smiled. "Then place is mine-mine! I got here first-first! All loot here is mine-mine! All lot will be used to advance Clan Skyre's warmachine! Yes-yes!" As Ikit continued to talk, John was looking at the Skaven, his posture giving away no emotions. Once Ikit had calmed down, John spoke.

"You're a scientist, right? Someone that can make machines and technology work?" Tilting his head, Ikit nodded. "Then how about we make a deal? In exchanging for helping us," John then pointed at himself and Courier. ", until we figure out where we are and how to get back home, you get to take all the tech you want from this base and the other one. Do we have a deal?" Upon hearing of another base, Ikit looked at John with interest.

"Another base?! Is it filled with technology like this place-place place?" Asked Ikit as he bounced with anticipation. John shrugged.

"Possibly, but we need to work together in order to survive whatever traps there are in that place. So," John then held out his hand. ", willing to work together with us?" Ikit clamped his mouth shut as he looked at the hand. Although his Skaven instincts were screaming at him to spat at the deal and kill the two, finding the work too much for little gain, his brain told him to take it. He had no knowledge of the dangers of where they are or what manner of monsters are around. While he was confident in his abilities as a mage and fighter, he wasn't as skilled as a combatant as Queek Headtaker or Thanquol, well Thanquol was better skilled mage than Ikit was, much to his disgust. And he was only one rat, what if he faced a hundred Dwarf things or a hundred man things. Even his technology will not save him from such numbers. Besides, he could always trick them to their deaths and stab them in the back later when it clear to him that the rewards of it are greater than cooperating with them. Thinking hard, Ikit nodded.

"Fine-fine. We work together for now-now." Said Ikit. "But you fools protect me-me! I only one that may be able to get us back home-home! For my brain is bigger than yours-yours!" Shaking his head at this, John began to move away from Ikit and Courier.

"With that out of the way, can we move outside. We got company." Said John as he checked his gun. Upon hearing that, both Ikit and Courier looked at John.

"How many?" Asked Courier as he brought out his gatling laser again with ED-E bringing up some fighting music.

"Three, but one's a big mech." Said John as he made to a door. "They're coming from different directions. One is coming through here. The other two are arriving through a hanger bay. One that seems to be built around the mech in question as I've seen similar machines that look like the one that coming now." Looking at the two he pointed at two locations near the door that John was at with one hiding in a corner created by a flight of stairs. "Take flanking positions. Ikit you take the corner. You're projector should work best in a straight line."

"Of course, it does, stupid man-thing!" Yelled Ikit as he made his way to the corner, upset that he was taking orders from a man-thing, but nonetheless obeying, finding that he still needed him and the other man-thing and its ball-ball of metal. Seeing that his halberd was poking out, he put it on the ground and began to grumble. With Ikit in position, Courier took his position near the door, putting away his gatling laser and bringing out a revolver.

"Ready." Said Courier with ED-E behind him, beeping. Nodding, John took the opposite direction of the door. With all three in position, they waited for their opponent to arrive.

* * *

**John**

* * *

"Why did you have me make that deal with the rat?" Asked John as he spoke to Cortana, having deactivated his suit's speakers so that the other's couldn't hear him.

"Much as I hate to admit it, but we may need him." Said Cortana as she looked at Ikit via a security camera in the room that they are in. "I'm going through the files that this base has, but none of them are related to the anomaly that brought us here. And if he's even as half as smart as he boosting, we need his intelligence in order to figure out how to get back home. Besides, I've already deleted most of the more sensitive data that should be kept away from his paw and claw. Trust me when I say this, Chief, that crazy rat should not have some of the stuff that I saw." Nodding his head, Chief looked at Ikit who continued to grumble.

"Should we kill him if he proves a threat?" Asked Chief.

"Only when I realize that he's more trouble than he's worth or if we don't really need him. What? Afraid of the giant rat, Chief. Don't tell me the big spartan is afraid of a giant rat." Ignoring that quip, John looked at Courier, who waved his hand at John, who simply stared back. Seeing that he wasn't waving, Courier stopped and simply readied himself.

Based on the man's posture and flippant attitude, John correctly guessed that Courier wasn't military. Even though he had some seemingly military grade weaponry and armor, based on his armor and gatling gun, which looked like a laser weapon, much to John's and Cortana's surprise, the man's posture gave away that he wasn't trained by a traditional military. He did have some discipline, but not enough to be trained by a true military. If anything, he seems to be self-taught by necessity. While it would be understandable during the Human-Covenant War for a man to be self-trained in order to protect themselves from the alien covenant, the fact the man didn't know about the UNSC and spoke of it like some pre-war organization made John suspect that something was very wrong. When asked, Cortana said that he could have been from another reality, bringing up the multi-verse theory. Though he didn't dabble much on theories, John figured that this may be the case. He'll need more information though.

For now though, they needed to focus on the approaching entity that was coming right at them. Though they didn't look much, John learned long ago that even the less dangerous looking aliens in the covenant, the grunts, were capable of killing humans, especially overconfident ones.

"Hey, John." Said Courier in a whisper, causing John to look at Courier. "So what's the enemy we're facing? Some guy in power armor? A big robot with big guns for arms?" To Courier's surprised, Chief just shook his head.

"You'll see." Said John. Confused, Courier was about to speak when they heard banging from the door that they were near. The banging continued until they heard cracks from the glass of the metal door that they were near. Getting ready, the three readied themselves as the door finally gave in, allowing the target to enter the room. Hearing a sigh, the three were surprised at the distinct feminine voice spoke out.

"Finally! What's the deal with this place with metal and glass doors." Said the voice as she made her way to the door. When she passed the door, however, both Courier and Chief tackled her to the ground, causing her to cry out in alarm. With her on the ground, Ikit went out of cover and walked up the flight of stairs, allowing him to see the girl struggling to get out of the heavy bodies of both Courier and Chief. Upon seeing the ears of the girl, Ikit growled when he realized what she was.

"He elf-thing!" Yelled Ikit as he examined the girl. Aside from the strange hair and eye color of the elf, he was definitely an elf thing. Hating elves for their seemingly superiority and long lives, Ikit wanted to burn this elf alive. Still, his strange appearance made him want to dissect him first. It'll be fun. That is if the weird man-things allow him to do so. "He not-not to be trusted! Need to kill-kill now!" Upon hearing that, Courier looked at Ikit.

"We're not going to kill them yet! We need to determine if she's a threat or not first! If she's a threat, then we can all kill her at the same time! If she's not, then we may need her!" Growling at that, Ikit then took a step back.

"Fine-fine, but I'm going to be away from you stupid man-things when around elf-thing. Especially since elf-thing has bows and arrows." Ikit then pointed to the elf's bows and quiver of arrows. Seeing the weapons, Chief got off the elf and pushed Courier off of the elf. Before the elf could do anything, Chief grabbed her arms and held them tightly behind her back, causing her to wince in pain.

"Disarm her." Said John, looking at Courier, who nodded. Grabbing the bows from her person and tossing them away, causing the elf to cry out in distress, Courier then began to take away the quiver as well as searching for other weapons. As Courier searched, the elf complained.

"Hey! Watch where you putting those hands!" Yelled the elf as Courier patted her legs and chest, causing her to blush.

"Don't think I'm enjoying this." Said Courier before finding two daggers and tossing them with the bows and quiver. "I got a girlfriend already. She may be a saint, but she'll tear me a new one if she heard that I'm enjoying patting an underage girl. Using the excuse that I need to search her for weapons isn't going to save me from her wrath." Upon hearing underage, the girl glared at Courier.

"I'm not underage! I'm two thousand years old!" That statement caused everyone to look at her in shock.

"You two thousand years old!" Yelled Ikit. He heard that elves can live for a quite a long time, with some even older than some members of the council of thirteen, but this elf was two thousand years old and still looked like a child. "But you have body of small man-thing!" Upon hearing that, the elf glared at Ikit while blushing hard.

"I'm not a boy! I'm a young woman, you idiot rat!" Said the elf. Though a part of Ikit grew livid upon being called an idiot, Ikit was more shocked at hearing that this elf was a girl.

"But you have no milk balls-balls!" Yelled Ikit, pointing at her flat chest. "Breeders have big balls for litter! You have no such thing! Even more, you look more like man-thing than elf-thing. If not for ears, I would have thought that you were man-thing!" Upon hearing that, the elf grew red with anger. If it weren't for Chief holding her back, the elf would have tackled Ikit and punched him, regardless of his metal armor.

"Let me at him!" Yelled the elf as she flayed her legs around. Courier shook his head as Ikit snickered at her behavior.

"For someone that is supposedly two thousand years old, you act more like a bratty teenager than a young adult." Said Courier as the elf continued to flay around. She even tried to hit Chief's manhood, but the man just ignored her attempt or dodged them by sidestepping. As the elf continued to struggle, Chief got a message from Cortana.

"While I enjoy this sight, the other contacts are arriving. Well, one is. The big mech is staying in the vehicle bay with those other mechs. Might I suggest that you guys get ready." Upon hearing that, Chief looked at the others.

"How much time, Cortana?" Asked Chief, confusing Ikit and Courier, who looked at Chief. Who was Cortana.

'Uh…sorry to say, but now." With that, another door to the room opened, revealing a man in military fatigues covered in metal armor. His helmet's visor glowing blue, the man aimed his weapon at the group, only to drop it slightly upon seeing the weird display going on.

"Uh…" Courier spoke as he looked at the other man. "Howdy?"

"Another man-thing! Gah! I would even take Thanquol than another man-thing!" Yelled Ikit.

"Unhand me!" Yelled the elf as she continued to flay around, this time actually hitting Courier in the knee, causing the man to drop to the ground in shock. As this was happening, Chief couldn't help but actually shake his head.

"This is going to be fun." Said Cortana in his helmet, actually smirking.

* * *

**Two hours later**

**Outside**

* * *

"So you all, got here from some weird purple portal?" Asked Courier as he looked at everyone, including the twenty-five foot tall war mech that made the Sentry bots that Courier fought a few times look like children's toys in comparison. Jack Cooper, the man that barged in while the elf was in the middle of her rampage, spoke up.

"Yeah, I think that's what got us, right BT?" Asked Jack, his helmet gone, revealing him to a handsome black-haired man in his thirties. The giant mech nodded, its strange cylinder-shaped head, which was built into the mech's frame, moving up and down to do the motion.

"Affirmative. Just before we entered the unidentified portal, I saw through the back cameras the color of the portal. Its appearance is identical to everyone's description of their own."

"Same here." Said Cortana, appearing from her data disk in her avatar. When she first appeared, everyone was either shocked, amazed, or intrigued with her. "Except with us its our ship. Well half of one. Beside the point, something is off. These portals. It almost sounds like someone waned us here." Everyone looked at each other, agreeing with the AI. It doesn't seem like a coincidence that their portals were all purple in color. Ikit hummed as he wondered what this was. At first, he thought it was the horned rat rewarding him for completing the Doomsphere, but now hearing the stories of the others, something else was in motion that wasn't the doing of the horned rat. Wanting to get to the bottom of this, Ikit pushed aside plans to kill everyone here, his instincts and mind telling him that he will need them in the future.

"So any plans?" Asked Courier, removing his helmet, allowing people to see his face. The elf, whose name was High Elf Archer, strangely enough, raised her hand. When asked, she replied that it was her tittle and that it was tradition among Adventurers, a type of mercenary from her explanation, to only reveal their name to trusted friends and acquaintances.

"Well I'd say we check this entire place first. We need information on our environment if we have any chance of surviving here. We also need to find food and water, who knows how long we're going to stay here." Everyone nodded at that, agreeing with the elf.

"But we need-need leader. Who want to be leader?" Asked Ikit, looking at everyone. He would volunteer himself, but he didn't want that responsibility now. Being a leader will force him away from studying the strange technology on these two bases and this ship that this Cortana was spoken of. Though John had told him that he'll kill him if he tried to take tech from his ship without permission, he was confident that he could steal some stuff without him noticing.

"Well it can't be me." Said Jack as he shook his head. "I didn't have much experience in leading people. I usually was the led, not the leader." Courier also shook his head. Though he did on occasion command and lead people, they were usually only around a person and ED-E. He didn't have much knowledge on battlefield tactics and leadership skills, so picking him will only be a problem for them. Everyone then looked at High Elf Archer, who shook her head. Despite being two thousand years old, she didn't partake in any leadership classes with other elves, too focused on her archery and tracking than anything else. With everyone else gone, John stepped up.

"Alright then." Said John. "I'll be the leader. That is if you want that." It made sense for him to be leader. During the Human Covenant war, he had lead a squad of similarly armored beings like him to battle. Though during the waning days of the war, he had been alone, the others of his kind being either dead or scattered across human territory, he had leadership skills and qualities that made him an excellent person to follow. The only reason he didn't volunteer was because the others may have been better than he was in leading. Upon seeing everyone nod in agreement, Chief spoke.

"Alright, let's get some rules started. First, you will now address be as Master Chief or Sierra-117, not John. I'm your commanding officer, not your friend now. Chief will be fine so long as your respectful. 2nd, you will follow my orders to the letter, even if you don't like them. We're a team now and a team needs to work and trust each other as well as their leader if they're going to survive in the unknown. And 3rd, don't die. I may not know you all at all, but since you're under my command, it my duty to make sure that you all make it out here alive so that you can return to your friends and people." Everyone looked at each other and nodded, finding the rules agreeable. High Elf didn't like the 2nd, but nevertheless agreed. With that done, Chief began giving out orders. "Alright, first things first. There's another base that some distance here away. I need people to go there and investigate. Its transmitting a different frequency than the one here, so expect a different faction than the one's that built this place."

"I think I know what the faction that built that base is, sir. Permission to go there?" Asked Courier, raising his hand. "My robot was built by them so I think he can be a big help with uncovering what secrets they had." Looking at Courier, John nodded.

"Very well, be cautious though. We don't know what tricks these bases have." Courier nodded, promising to be careful. "As for the rest of you, do any you know the people who made this place?" John then pointed to the base that they were all close to.

"I do." Said Jack as he raised his hand. "They're the faction that I'm fighting against. They're called the IMC. They're a bunch of cooperate assholes that are subjugating people and taking whatever they want from my people." Upon hearing the anger in Jack's tone, Chief made a note to get more information on him so he can determine what to do with him or if he needs to keep Jack away from any survivors of this IMC should they encounter any. For now, though, since he knew the most on this IMC, he was the best candidate to search this place.

"Alright, you're on duty to scavenge this place for anything we can use. Take Ikit and BT with you. They may help you with uncovering what secrets this facility may have." Ikit smiled at that. He can finally acquire knowledge on this place in peace. Master Chief then looked at High Elf Archer.

"And you're with me and Cortana. We're going back to my ship. There's food, water, vehicles, and weapons we can salvage from it. After we're done salvaging, we're going to map this place." High Elf Archer wanted to protest that she can map while he was going scavenging, but Master Chief shook his head. Pouting, she reluctantly nodded her head. With everyone having their roles for the time beings, Chief dismissed them. As everyone went to their respective duties, Chief grabbed Jack and spoke to him.

"Keep an eye on the rat." Said Chief, looking at Ikit as he starred at BT with fascination. "He may end up trying to betray us all." Jack looked at Chief in surprise, looking at his helmeted head, something that confused Jack.

"You sure?" Asked Jack, though he was in shock at finding out different sentient life was out there, he didn't want his first contact with another life form end with him killing it.

"Yeah. Before you showed up, he had this look in his eye. He may not have said it, but his eyes gave it away. He planned to kill us and take the tech in this place all to himself." Said Chief. "So keep an eye on him. If he plans to betray us, put a bullet in him. Okay?" Jack sighed before nodding, agreeing. "Good. Good luck with him." With that, Chief walked to the waiting elf, who was tapping the ground impatiently.

"About time. What took you so long?" Demanded High Elf Archer as she followed John to his jeep.

"Had to take precautions with the rat." Looking at Chief in curiosity, High Elf Archer was about to ask what precautions when she spotted Chief's vehicle. Widening her eyes at it, she gaped upon seeing it.

It was an open-topped metal vehicle with four wheels. It didn't have any doors on it and it looked like it could hold three people, with one in the back, manning the large weapon. She didn't know what the weapon was, but High Elf suspected that it could do a lot of damage if the size of the weapon was any indication. Starring in awe at the vehicle, she looked at John as he took a seat in the front before motioning High Elf to take the seat next to him. Seeing this, she got on and watched as Chief started the vehicle. Once he started it, he looked at the elf.

"Hold on. This may get bumpy." Said Chief before driving. As the drove, High Elf Archer yelped when they hit a rock, causing the car to shake and nearly cause the elf to hit her head on the car's dashboard. When she recovered, she glared at Chief, who focused on driving.

"You did that on purpose!" Yelled High Elf Archer as she glared at Chief, who simply focused on driving. Upon seeing no response, she huffed and stared on the road, arms crossed over her chest.

"**This guy reminds me so much of Orcblog when we first met."** Thought High Elf as she snuck a glance at Chief. **"Just as stoic and just as standoffish."** Sighing she began to think of what this ship was and how unimpressive it was. She absolutely hated boats. She always got seasick on them on the few times that she got on one.** "Probably some big cargo ship filled with goods. His armor is top quality, so it can't be a dingy ship. Wonder what it looks like."** As they moved deeper into the forest, she frowned and looked at Chief

"Hey, so this portal of yours brought your ship out of sea and deeper inland?" Asked High Elf as she looked at Chief. To her surprise he shook his head.

"It took us from outer space." Said Chief as he drove. High Elf frowned.

"Outer space?" Seeing that she was from a primitive society, Chief explained.

"You see the stars at night? Do you know of the pitch darkness that is between them?" When she said yes, he continued. "That's outer space." Widening her eyes in shock, High Elf looked at Chief in interest.

"So, you're a space man or something?" Asked High Elf. Chief nodded, shocking her. "So, your ship can fly between stars?" Nodding again, Chief couldn't help but be amused at the child-like interest the elf had for his stuff. "Must be quite a powerful ship to be able to do that. Does it run on magic?" Shaking his head, Chief said that he'll give her a brief explanation when they get there. As he drove, High Elf couldn't help but think of this ship and what it looked like.

* * *

**Later**

* * *

"**Holy shit!"** Though High Elf Archer as she looked at the giant wreckage that was Chief's ship, eyes as wide as plates. It was a large black block of metal that was embedded on the ground. Not exactly something of beauty or elegance. Despite that, she couldn't help but be in awe of the size. It dwarfed even the largest buildings that she had seen in her lifetime. And upon seeing that the end of the ship that wasn't stuck on the ground had melted parts and was exposing the interior, she couldn't help but think that something destroyed this. Something powerful. Gulping, she looked at Chief, who began to walk to the wreckage.

"What is this ship?" Asked High Elf as she walked with him. Finding that it wouldn't hurt, the frigate wasn't classified in any sort of way aside from her slipspace drive and that was only because protocol forbid any UNSC personal from exposing the slipspace drive to any species during a first contact scenario. And since High Elf Archer was technically an alien, he couldn't expose the slipspace drive to her. Speaking of the drive, he should probably scuttle it, so that Ikit couldn't get his hands on it, though Cortana went against it, saying that if he did, he'll take them all with it. She then proposed just removing the drive and hiding it someplace where Ikit couldn't find it. Agreeing, Chief made a note to do that when Ikit was asleep along with everyone else.

"It's a frigate." Said Chief as they entered inside. "A Charon class frigate to be precise. This ship class was the most deployed ship in the UNSC navy during the Human Covenant war. I can't give you details, most of it is classified, but I can tell you that this ship was cut in half in a battle that decided the war." Gulping again, High Elf couldn't help but imagine what this final battle war. Must have been quite chaotic if this ship was cut in half.

"So, how big was it?" Asked High Elf Archer as they delved deeper into the ship. Much as all this interested her, she couldn't help but be uneased. All this tech and metal. It unnerved her. It was all unnatural. Same with BT, ED-E, and Cortana. They're all…an affront to nature. They way they moved and how they talked as well as how they're made. It was all uncomfortable for the elf, who was more comfortable in the forest and all its wonders. She knew that she would have to deal with it, but she still couldn't help but be unnerved with these robots and AIs.

"This ship was, when whole, was one thousand six hundred seven feet in length and a width of five hundred nine feet. For height, it was over four hundred fifty-six feet." Explained Chief. High Elf Archer couldn't help but gulp again at that. Such a big ship. That was enough to fit in several entire towns inside.

"And this was the biggest in your arsenal?" Asked the elf as she looked at Chief, who stopped. Though it was almost impossible to tell, High Elf Archer could see that Chief was somewhat amused at that.

"No, this was one of the smaller ships in the UNSC navy along with our weakest individually. They made it up for it in being easier to build and be fielded in lager numbers. Our biggest ship, to my knowledge, was over thirteen thousand feet in length."

That stopped High Elf Archer in her tracks, her brain trying to process such a massive ship. If this UNSC had the capacity to build such ships, she shuddered to think what their enemies were capable of, if this Human Covenant war was any indication.

"**This is going to be both an interesting and scary adventure. Especially with the company I have." **Thought High Elf as she ventured deeper into the ship with Chief.

* * *

**Okay, our heroes are all met up and have agreed to work each other for the time being. The question is, who will they side with. Alliance or Horde? Or neither? I'll answer that in due time.**

**As for another thing, pairings. Alright, I'll get this out of the way first. Ikit Claw is not getting paired up with someone. For those of you who don't know, the Skaven from Warhammer Fantasy are essentially everything dark of humanity put in rat form, and multiplied by a thousand. They constantly backstab each other, they think themselves superior of other races as well as their colleagues, they constantly put blame on others when a mission failed even if its clearly their fault, and they always seek to betray their leaders in order to gain more power and prestige. There are exceptions, barely, in the form of clan Mors, but as a rule, Skaven are evil beings and its in their instincts to betray and scheme against one another. Its already difficult to give Ikit any sort of development that moves past these instincts and become a…well…better person. A pairing is just too much of a stretch. Also bestiality. I mean, I think its alright for me if he gets paired up with another animal-like species that's sentient, like them pandas. But that's besides the point. Unless someone gives me a convincing argument, Ikit stays single.**

**Another thing, High Elf Archer and Courier already have lovers or crushes in their realties. So, no pairings for them. That leaves Jack and Chief. And I already have the two women in mind for them. Vereesa Windrunner of the Silvermoon Covenant and Thalyssra of the Nightborne. The problem is I can't figure out which one to pair the boys with. Or even just give one both and have the other get another woman. So, as much as I think this is unreliable and subject to change from the author, can anyone give me arguments on what you believe is the best match for each and why you believe so. Also before anyone asks, yes I know Vereesa is married to Rhonin. And no, I won't make him cheat on her. For gods sakes, that doesn't make any sense at all. I never understood people's want to make a spouse or lover cheat on their significant other just so they can pair one of them with said significant other. For one it completely goes against a character's established personality and seem so out of place. It also makes no sense for them to suddenly cheat on a wife or husband when they've had kids and have been married for decades. So in this story, he just dies, leaving Vereesa a widow, like in canon. (Wow…that sounded harsh and mean.)**

**Final thing, this story starts a few weeks before Theramore gets blown up. You know when Garrosh goes all crazy crazy and starts waging war on the Alliance.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**Plums- I don't see the problem with that, but if that's what you recommend, then alright. Lets try to give it a shot.**

**R reyes- Well, it'll come up later with ED-E and BT. Whether they can help with treating it, I'm not sure.**

* * *

"***Grunts*** This is the last of the scrapped bots that I could find." Said Jack as he dragged the last bot to Ikit, who was inspecting a large paladin tank. Placing the last droid in a pile, Jack couldn't help but be surprised at how many spectres, the military mechs of the IMC, were reduced to scrap. Out of the few hundred that BT claimed the base had, there were at least several dozen in a pile here. A few were destroyed by Ikit, something that BT confirmed as security cameras caught Ikit destroying a group of 8 spectres with ease, but the rest were, according to a report in the base's systems, were destroyed by other large rats that were of the same size as Ikit, just brown in color instead of white, or unknown humans with powered exoskeletons armed with plasma weapons.

Thinking those humans were the ones that the Courier was going to confront, Jack hoped the man would be fine as the reports from various IMC soldiers claim that a single black armored soldier can kill an entire squad of their own with ease. Something that was of concern to Jack. Then again, the actions reports pointed to the fact that the IMC didn't use any of their titans, so its possible that they'll have a chance if any of these black armored soldiers are still alive.

"So, why do you need these in a pile?" Asked Jack as he looked at Ikit, who began to sniff at the tank, causing Jack to shake his head. If it was an attempt to distract Jack, then the rat was in for a surprise. BT had been monitoring him the entire time and kept him updated on what Ikit was doing. So far, surprisingly, the rat had been simply tearing things apart, inspecting their contents, or looking at the vehicles in the storage bay that he was in. No doubt that the rat was learning much from his investigations. The question was, will he keep to his part of the deal? The one that Master Chief spoke of.

"**If he does betray us, then BT will crush him or I'll put a grenade in his mouth." **Thought Jack as he patted a frag grenade on his person. For now though, he'll settle with just keeping an eye on the rat, who was now done with the tank and going to the pile that Jack made.

"Want all metal things in single pile so I-I can tear-rip them all apart in one piece!" Yelled Ikit as he stopped inspecting the tank, having acquired all the knowledge he wanted for now. Now he was going to tear apart the robots and learned their secrets.

Walking over to the pile of robots, Ikit grabbed one and began to tear it apart with his halberd and claw. Once its insides were exposed, Ikit began to carefully dig inside, eager to discover what made the Spectres tick. As he went on his way, Jack wondered what the others were doing.

* * *

**Courier**

* * *

"God damn." Commented Courier as he inspected the dead body of a rat man, similar in size to Ikit, but with brown fur instead of white. Surrounded that rat were more along with a handful of Enclave soldiers, some with power armor and some with military uniforms. Judging from the carnage, these rats took them by surprise and killed the soldiers just as they killed the rats.

"Not going to find many survivors here." Commented Courier as he stopped inspecting the body and went on his way. ED-E beeped in confirmation as they ventured deeper into the Enclave outpost. Based on the size of this place, there seemed to be under a hundred personal here in this outpost. A very strong contingent that made Courier pray that he only had to encounter one or two at a time.

He had seen the training that Enclave soldiers had during the battle of Hoover Dam, where the Remnant, a bunch of former Enclave soldiers, fought against Caesar's legion, an enemy of the NCR. Though old, perhaps in their seventies to even nineties, the old folk proved to be a force to be reckoned with, killing dozens of Caesar's best men. If former soldiers of the Enclave, that fought past their prime, were able to still fight with ease, then Courier shuddered at the implications of fighting Enclave soldiers that were in their prime.

Fortunately, it seemed nothing was left alive. As the Courier went deeper and deeper into the base, he found more dead bodies, both Enclave soldiers and ratmen. It was clear to the Courier that a massive occurred here, one where the Enclave lost. The primary reason for it being obvious. It was the same reason that the Enclave kept losing against less highly trained and technologically inferior forces.

To understand the Enclave, one will have to know the background of the Courier's world. Of what happened to it. And how his world became what it was today.

Over two hundred years ago, the nations of his world, the USA and China along with many others, launched nuclear weapons at each other, destroying their world and consuming the world in radiation, leaving the world uninhabitable aside from a few patches of land that haven't been touched by nuclear weapons. The reason for this was because resources were running out. Oil, and fossil fuel were running out. Without those precious resources, the nations will fall to civil strife from their own people. Desperate to prevent this, companies and nations tried to develop new energy sources to prevent this from happening. Unfortunately, at the same time, the nations also began to fight over each other for the few remaining resources left in the world.

At first, they fought conventionally, using regular arms against one another. This resource war, as it would be called, had been fought over lands with highly prized oil, like Alaska, with those fighting taking high losses. As the war dragged on, taking more lives and putting an even greater strain on the nation's remaining resources, the ones in charge of each nation decided it was a good idea to launch a nuclear strike on their enemies in hopes of ending the war. Unfortunately for humanity, every single nation that had nuclear weapons had that idea and so on the year 2077, all nuclear-capable nations launched their nuclear stockpile on each other. This Great war would start and end on the same die and would leave the world scared for the rest of its existence. Those that didn't heed the warning andreach to safety in time, or were in areas that weren't targeted by nuclear weapons, died, either by the explosion of these weapons or from the fallout that came after. As soon as the nuclear fallout was over, the survivors of the Great War began to long and difficult process of rebuilding a land that was ravaged by radiation and mutated beasts.

One of the big group of survivors was a splinter group of government and corporate leaders called the Enclave.

According to Arcade and the Remnant, the Enclave was a shadow organization of the U.S. government. They knew what was coming ahead of time, probably even years before the war even started. Since the cost of protecting every single American would be an economic nightmare, the Enclave decided to save only the important people, so that when America was destroyed by nuclear war, they could rebuild.

So, the Enclave hide on an oil rig, far away from the mainland, which protected them from the nuclear weapons that bombarded America. With radiation levels so damn high, far higher than it was during the Courier's time, the Enclave hid on the oil rig, binding their time to rebuild America. So, nearly two centuries later, the Enclave returned to America, eager to rebuild the nation to what it used to be. Unfortunately for other survivors, the Enclave was incredibly xenophobic to all that wasn't them.

Apparently, during their time on the oil, the Enclave had gotten the idea that they were the last, aside from those locked away in fallout shelters, like the Vault project, which was really just social experiments made by a insane and corrupt corporation, pure strand of humanity left. Any other humans were tainted, changed by radiation. As a result, they forbid other people from thriving communities that formed after the radiation fallout occurred, to join the Enclave. They just shot them on sight and tried to genocide the people of the America wastelands. If it wasn't for the actions of a tribal, the NCR and the people of the wasteland would all be dead at the hands of the Enclave. The courier didn't know this tribal, but if he ever meet them, he'll give them a drink for saving the wastelands. Or rather a plasma gun. That was more useful.

Going back to the Enclave, their xenophobia had, inadvertently, created their biggest weakness. Because they refused to allow those from the wasteland to join their armed forces, the Enclave forces were the smallest armed forces during their time. Although better trained than even the Brotherhood of Steel, which was the best trained group of people that the Courier knew, even having access of power armor and energy weapons, they were outnumbered by even them, which is ironic considering that the Brotherhood also didn't allow people in their ranks unless they do something exemplary for the Brotherhood. As a result, they lost, despite their advance technology and training, to more numerous Brotherhood and NCR troopers Navarro, their main base on the mainland of America, as well as the more against every single faction that formed since the Great War.

Without Navarro and the old rig, the Enclave scattered. Some going to the east while others went west, joining the NCR secretly. And so, the Enclave was gone. The last remnant of the U.S. government scattered to a bunch of elderly men and women that wanted to move on with their lives.

Sighing, the Courier went into thought of what would happen if the Enclave hadn't been so xenophobic. The wasteland would be a different place with them around. Their advanced technology would have helped the wasteland. Combined with the technology of big mountain, which the Courier is slowly reintroducing to the world, both to the NCR and Followers of the Apocalypse, the wastelands of America would be a safer place to what is was now. Sighing again, he stopped thinking and decided focus on his current task, which is searching for anything of value on this base as well as for survivors.

As he searched, however, he soon began to rule out any survivors from the Enclave. It seems that everyone was dead. With no personal from the Enclave, he hoped that there were survivors from these Skaven or IMC, because they needed info. They could get it from terminals in the IMC and Enclave bases, sure, but the Courier knew that a person can provide more context than a simple computer log.

Eventually, after sometime of searching, Courier found the central mainframe of the base, which was a large square supercomputer, surrounding by various generators and, to the Courier's discomfort, two sentry bots.

He rarely encountered the large, three wheeled, bots during his travels, but the few times that he did, he learned to fear their mobility, unless they were on uneven terrain, and their weaponry, which were usually a repeating laser cannon, a minigun, or a rocket launcher.

Not taking any chances, Courier walked behind one and examined its status. To his relief, the sentry bot was offline. An inspection of the other one revealed the same thing. Making a note to take these bots, along with any other robots and goodies he could find here, to the others, he motioned ED-E to hack the terminal to get anything from this base. As the robot did its job, the Courier wondered what Chief was doing.

* * *

**Forward Unto Dawn.**

* * *

"What is this?" Asked High Elf as she touched a plastic bag of, what the Chief claimed, was a package of food. Having never seen anything like this, or anything the ship had really, the Elf was overwhelmingly curious, much to the delight of Cortana as she could be extremely informative with someone. She would have done so with Chief, but the man usually only wanted the basics, something Cortana could get behind.

"An MRE." Explained Chief as he placed a crate of said MREs onto the back of a supply Warthog, the vehicle he used to arrive to the Dawn, which replaced the mounted turret for increased carrying capacity.

For the past hour, they had been gathering all kinds of important equipment and resources from the ship. These include, radios, food, weapons, even vehicles. To Chief's mild surprise, a vehicle bay had survived the last battle of the Human Covenant War.

In the vehicle bay, was a myriad of human vehicles as well as Covenant ones, acquired from a splinter group of the Covenant that joined the humans during the waning days of the war. The vehicles ranged from the human mongoose, to the mighty scorpion tank and the Covenant banshee.

There were even Covenant weapons around, like the Type-one energy sword and the Covenant plasma rifle. These weapons were on the list to keep Ikit Claw from. Making a note to hide them to prevent the rat from acquiring them, Chief began to long process of putting weapons and crates of food onto the backs of supply warthogs, putting essentials first. Elf tried to help, but she was too busy asking questions of UNSC equipment to be much of a help.

For his part, Chief answered her to the best of his ability, though Chief wondered just how mature this elf was.

Despite claiming to be a young woman, the elf was more akin to a human teenager that hasn't been exposed to the outside as much as they should have been. When Cortana made the theory that her kind were isolationist, Chief guessed that might be the case.

If so, then the elf as in a rude awakening when she learned of the Human Covenant war.

"Its used by soldiers to provide a meal as soon as possible. In a battlefield, we just don't have time to make a field kitchen so my government made those to act as a quick way to give a soldier the necessary nutrients he needs." Explained Chief.

"Hmm." Said High Elf as she examined the MRE. It was much bigger than Elven traveling rations, which she usually had fourteen packages of.

A single traveling ration had enough nutrients for a day. For an elf at least. She wasn't sure how much a human needs to eat, but she was sure that it was much more than an elf as she seen priestess eat more food than even the most gluttonous elves. If she was an elf, she just needed to eat a single steak, though eating meat was considered abhorrent to elves, and she would be fine. But no, she eat an entire fried pig, much to the girl's embarrassment.

"Kind of big." Said the Elf as she threw the MRE into the box she nabbed it from. "Must have a lot for a single soldier."

"It's supposed to be." Said Chief as he checked a UNSC shotgun for any faults. "It needs to provide enough nutrients for a single day and in quick succession."

"So you just need to eat one of these and you're good to go? And you have to eat them all in one go?" Asked the elf, frowning. This was a far cry from elf traveling rations, which were meant to be eaten in intervals. One can be eaten in one go, but it wasn't necessary. Why would this UNSC designed a ration that was suppose to be eaten in a single sitting? "Seems wasteful."

"Trust me." Said Chief as he looked at the elf. Though she couldn't see his face, the stare that she got unnerved the elf. It was like seeing Orcblog with his helmet on. Only this stare was, somehow, even more uncomfortable to look at. "If you knew what the UNSC faced, then you would understand." With that he placed the shotgun on the back of another Warthog, this one filled with weapons. After placing it, he looked at High Elf. "We'll be returning soon. We'll deliver the food first then come back for the weapons." Chief then got on the Warthog that the elf was on.

"You're driving?" Asked Elf as she got on the shotgun seat. Looking at the driver seat, she pouted. It looked fun to drive this thing around.

"I have more experience." Said Chief as he drove the Warthog. It may seem easy to drive the Warthog, but it wasn't. The amount of times that he had seen a Warthog be flipped over by careless UNSC troopers or marines, made the spartan cautious on who to give the jeep to. "In time, Cortana and I may help you with driving, but not today."

Pouting, the elf just endured the ride back as she wondered what the others of her party were going to do when they learned of her disappearance.

Dwarf Shaman, the Dwarf of their group, would be drinking in sorrow for her disappearance as well as praying for her safe return. Despite them constantly insulting and making jabs at each other, they cared for each other.

Priestess would be crying to sorrow and would pray for her safe return as well. The same could be applied to Lizard Priest.

Goblin Slayer, however, was the one that caught her attention the most. At first, he would assume that Goblins had taken her and would try to find their next and kill them while rescuing her. If she was even alive. When he wouldn't find her, she wasn't sure how he would react to that. He could become even more distance from the other, but with Priestess, she doubted that would happen. She was the one, along with that friend of his that lived with him on that farm, helped make him more sociable, if only a little.

But the problem was, that he never lost anyone that he grew close to after his sister died at the hands of Goblins. So, she wasn't sure how the man would react when he learns of the disappearance, possible death, of one of his party members, one that he grew close to. He would grieve, of course, but the question was that concerned her was if that grief would consume him. Praying that she can get back home soon, she looked at Chief, who drove back to the IMC base.

"**Reminds me so much of Orcblog."** Thought the elf as she stared at the spartan. **"So quiet and so reluctant to speak much."** Just looking at the spartan made her think of Orcblog. Sighing, she decided to make a conversation with the man in hopes that would remove her thoughts of her tiny crush.

"Got anyone special back home? Where you come from?" Asked the elf. She knew this wasn't an appropriate thing to say to someone that she just met, but it wasn't like she had much to go on and it was the first thing that popped up in her mind.

If the spartan was bothered by the question, he didn't show it. Instead, he just responded in his usual stoic voice.

"If you're referring to a lover, then no. Spartans were forbidden to form such attachments with anyone on the same team or in the civilian populace." Said Chief as he drove, the base in sight now. High Elf looked at Chief, interested in this.

"So no friends or girlfriend back home?" Asked High Elf. The answers she got shocked her.

"They're all MIA or dead. There was a terrible war that nearly killed the entire human race." Said Chief as he parked the jeep inside a vehicle bay filled with various tanks and trucks. Once parked, he looked at High Elf Archer, who was shocked at his words. "Help me unload. Once we unload everything, we're going back to the ship and scavenge some more."

Sighing, High Elf agreed and together the two began to unload the food that they brought from the Dawn. As she helped unload, High Elf looked at Chief, who meticulously unloaded the boxes of MREs.

"**Nearly killed the entire human race? What kind of war is that and kind of horror did you face?"** Thought High Elf Archer as she grabbed a box and walked to a pile that Chief was forming.

* * *

**Night**

**Ten hours later**

**Camp fire**

* * *

"So, we just wait for a couple of minutes for the food to be ready?" Asked High Elf Archer as she saw some steam come out of the plastic bags that contained their meals. High Elf Archer and Ikit Claw were amazed when the three humans in their party poured some water they acquired from the IMC base into these plastic bags, which they inserted some thin bags of what contained their food prior, before rolling the open seal up. Then before the two non-human's eyes, they saw the plastic bags inflate as the bags did their work. Chief explained what's going on and how the whole process works, much to the amazement of High Elf Archer and Ikit Claw.

"Yup." Said Jack as he poured some coffee spray into thick metal cups filled with water. He then stirred the drinks with a plastic spoon he got from one of the MREs' they ripped open. "May seem amazing to you, but to us, its nothing special." Once he was done stirring, he gave a cup of coffee to everyone, even Ikit Claw, who starred at it with curiosity.

"What is this-this brown puddle?" Asked Ikit as he looked at the coffee. Sniffing the coffee, he didn't smell anything funny aside from a sweet scent it gave off.

"Coffee." Said Courier as he took a sip from his cup. "Suppose to keep you awake during the day or wake you up with caffeine. Not a very healthy way according to my girl, but it works." Frowning, High Elf took a sip from her cup. Upon drinking it, she widened her eyes and she immediately spit it all out.

"Its disgusting!" Yelled High Elf as she glared at her coffee, finding the taste to be horrid.

"Well, military coffee isn't known for being…well tasty." Said Jack as he took her cup. "Its more known for being easy to make and to give your body good nutrients." Chief nodded in agreement as he took a sip of his coffee without his helmet. With his helmet gone, they could all see his face and they were impressed.

With blue eyes and brown hair, the man was quite attractive for a human male. In fact, High Elf could say with confidence that he would have attracted quite a few Elf maidens with how he looks. Same with Cooper and Courier.

Upon seeing High Elf spit out her coffee, Ikit tried it, wanting it for himself. Surprisingly, the rat enjoyed the coffee and drank it all down. Licking his lips, he looked at Jack and pointed at High Elf's cup of coffee. Shrugging, the man gave it to Ikit, who once again drank it all down.

"Good-good!" Yelled Ikit as he looked at the pile of discarded MRE accessory packets, intending to find the paper packet that contained this coffee he desired. As the rat rummaged through the plastic packets, High Elf looked at everyone else.

"So, what do we plan to do next?" Asked High Elf. Courier just pointed to John, who looked at everyone.

"We've done all we can for today. Once we eat, we'll plan more in the morning. Unless you two have some intel we could use." Said Chief as he looked at Courier and Jack.

"ED-E is setting up a link between the Enclave outpost I scavenged through to the IMC base. BT and Cortana are helping with the process. They'll be the ones to talk to about what he got from that base. Not me." With Courier done, Jack started.

"While Ikit was busy tearing about the base for…well everything that caught his eye, BT found some interesting intel from the base. There's big port town some distance away. According to the intel, its human made as it matches some old human architecture back during the medieval ages of Earth."

"Inhabited?" Asked Chief. When Jack nodded, Master Chief went into thought. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"We'll need to scout it out. Any of you good at stealth?" Jack and Courier nodded their heads. Ikit, who heard that, nodded as he picked up strange packet. It wasn't the same as the one that Jack used to make that delicious coffee, but it caught Ikit's eye. Walking over, Ikit brought it over to Jack, who sighed as he began the process of making Ikit the drink.

"Alright then. Ikit, you stay here and keep scavenging this place for whatever you want." Ikit grinned, happy at the order. "Jack you stay here with BT and ED-E. We still need to map this place out, after all."

"You got it." Said Jack as he stirred Ikit's drink. The rat meanwhile, looked at interest as the water, mixed with the contents of the packet, turned brown, just like the coffee. Once it was done, Jack gave the completed drink to Ikit, who sniffed it before taking a sip. Upon tasting it, Ikit nodded in satisfaction before drinking it. With him distracted, Jack continued.

"BT and I found some IMC drones that we can use to scout the place. We can link it to Cortana and she'll be able to effectively map the entire place. Once the entire area is mapped, BT and I will go to any areas of interest and see what we can dig up. If there aren't any, we'll just stay here and…I guess act as back up." Chief nodded, finding that acceptable. He was about to speak, when Ikit yelled out.

"More-more." Said Ikit as he growled in anger, his cup now empty. With that drink done, Ikit went to grab even more paper packets from the discarded pile. Once he acquired them all, he grabbed a cup, two bottles of water, and began to make his drink, using all the packets he got.

"God damn. That rat is spoiling his appetite. He won't have much room for food, which is done now." Said Courier as the food was finally done.

"Don't be too sure. For all we know, this rat is a glutton." Said High Elf as she watched the three men pull out their meals. They ripped open the bags and poured the contents into several metal trays. Upon seeing the food, High Elf Archer nearly barfed at seeing the disgusting slop of strings and meat shaped into a ball. "What the hell is that stuff?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs." Said Courier as he gave the elf her food. "Eat it. You'll get used to the taste. Trust me. It's only the first try that the food is bad." Sighing, High Elf used the fork she was given to try and eat her food. After acquiring a fistful, she ate it carefully. Upon swallowing, she nearly gagged. She would have thrown up if it wasn't for Chief giving her a bottle of water. Taking it and drinking all the water in a single go, she gasped out loud.

"That stuff is disgusting!" Yelled High Elf as she glared at her food. "Don't we have anything else?"

"Nope." Said Jack. "Unless we start harvesting some stuff here on this place, these MREs are the only thing we got for food."

"Except for those nutrient bars the troopers like to hurl insults at." Said Cortana, appearing the data disk that Chief always carried. "Seriously, if I had a credit for each time a UNSC trooper insulted the nutrient bars the UNSC provided the military, I could buy a new this whole piece of land we're in." Laughing a bit, the Courier looked at Chief.

"I got several items on my person that can help. A stealth suit and some devices that can make someone completely invisible. The devices don't last long, though, about a minute, so I recommend only using them as a last resort." Said Courier. Chief nodded as he looked at Cortana, who piqued up on hearing devices that can make someone invisible. Ikit would be interested too if it wasn't for him making his big drink.

"If you wouldn't mind, can I have one of those devices?" Courier just shrugged.

"Don't mind. I don't really use them that much." Said Courier as he typed into his supercomputer. To everyone's amazement, a small telephone-like object appeared out of nowhere and the Courier caught it with ease. "Here you go. What do you want it?" Ignoring how the Courier made the device appear, Cortana looked at the man with a grin.

"I think the rat and I can improve these devices to make them last longer. Maybe even figure out a way to make more of them." Upon hearing that, Courier widened his eyes in shock before grinning.

"If that's the case, then do it." Said Courier. "Those devices can give us an edge in combat, right?" Chief and Jack nodded in agreement. The ability to go invisible should not be discounted.

"Alright then, back to the initial talks." Said Chief as he ate. "You're coming with me and High Elf, Courier. A bigger team has better chances of survival if we get detected." Courier nodded.

"You got it, man. I got you and the elves back." Chief nodded in thanks before speaking.

"Alright, you got your assignments. Now eat." High Elf groaned as she began to eat the slope the others called food.

* * *

**The next day**

**Goblin dropship**

* * *

"Not as comfy as a Pelican." Said Cortana as she piloted the IMC dropship, one of the many vehicles the IMC had abandoned, to the port city that was spoken in the IMC's database. They would have taken a UNSC pelican dropship, but Cortana wanted to test out how she would do in an IMC vehicle. She needed to know if she can control them and if she did, needed to get practice in doing so as they had different specs than UNSC vehicles. So far, she hadn't had much trouble with them. "But I can get used to it." Chief and Courier, meanwhile, just prepped their weapons as High Elf Archer looked around the ship.

"**This thing is called Goblin, huh?"** Thought High Elf Archer as she looked around the ship. When she first saw it, she couldn't believe that it could fly. It looked so ungraceful and ugly. But when it did, she was shocked beyond belief. Once in the skies, High Elf Archer looked at the grand sea through a window, amazed at finally being able to see such wonders in the skies. **"Orcblog would be so conflicted with this thing."** Giggling, she looked at her companions as they checked their guns.

"Remember, only recon. Our appearances will cause distress and suspicion, so stay hidden." Said Chief as he placed his assault rifle on his back.

"Okay, but wouldn't I not cause suspicion?" Asked High Elf Archer. "I'm not wearing any suit of armor of doesn't look out of place in the port city we're going."

"They may not even believe in elves, kid." Said Courier. "Plus, your green hair isn't exactly natural in most societies." High Elf Archer pouted at that.

"I'll just say that I was born with these long ears and that I dyed my hair." Said High Elf Archer. "Trust me, I got this." Chief and Courier looked at each other, wondering on what they should do. With a conflicted mind, Chief looked at High Elf Archer.

"Alright, but first, we're going to see the place from a distance. If we determine they know of elves, we'll send you in. If you run into any trouble, we'll come with the dropship to back you up." High Elf Archer nodded, happy that Chief trusted her and that she could do what she could do best. Scouting.

* * *

**Later**

* * *

"Well, guess we can say that elves do exist here in this strange world we are in." Said Courier as he peered in the scope of his sniper rifle. Chief nodded as he saw the appearance of an elf if the ears were any indication.

"So, I guess I can go, huh?" Asked High Elf Archer as she looked at the two men, her brown cloak hood over her head.

"Yeah, but make sure you got a good excuse if they ask if you look too young or have green eyes and hair. Also have a good fake name if they ask." Said Courier as he peered on the port city. It was quite grand with white stone walls and the like. They couldn't see much through their scopes and they couldn't get close with the dropship as someone would have undoubtedly detected them if they got close enough for them to see the port city.

Speaking of the dropship, they hidden it in a clearing some distance away. After properly hiding it in among trees and bushes, the three ventured to the outskirts of the port city, where they hopefully won't be seen.

"I got it." Said High Elf Archer as she made her way to town.

"And make sure to keep in radio contact." Said Chief.

"I got it!" Yelled High Elf Archer as she pointed to the ear piece that Chief gave her before they left. With that, she begun to hurry to the city so the two men can't talk to her anymore. Shaking his head, Courier looked at Chief.

"You think Jack is having much trouble with Ikit?" Asked Courier.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Why the hell are you beating that Titan with your halberd?" Asked Jack as he watched Ikit slam Storm Daemon at a broken Titan mech.

"Because I want to see-see what this thing has-has!" Yelled Ikit as he kept slamming Storm Daemon at the Titan, creating more cuts on it. "You can't know a machine fully if you can't break-break it first!"

"I know several people that would like to disagree." Said Jack before getting to business. "Look I uncovered some interesting intel from the IMC database. Apparently they found the place where they found the ratmen they've been fighting over. Want to help check that place out. Its your people." Ikit just grunted as he looked at Jack.

"Hmm…do these Skaven have Warpstone?" Asked Ikit. From the last conversation he had with the group, specifically the elf thing and the one called Courier, they told him that they encountered rat men on the island they were in. Upon hearing their description, Ikit immediately identified them as Skaven, his people.

Most would be overjoyed at this, but Ikit wasn't. The fact that other Skaven were here meant that they might try to steal his hard work. And that was a no-no. He needed to eliminate them or make them submit to his rule. Though from the sounds of it, the rats were dead for quite awhile and given the fact that the bases of this IMC and Enclave weren't ransacked, its likely that no other Skaven is alive.

Still, if they had Warpstone, then Ikit needed to find their nest. He needed Warpstone to fuel his technology and magic. Without it, all of his equipment would be useless and that was a big no-no.

"From the report, they said they found some strange reading from the nest. So maybe?" Scoffing, Ikit stopped his bashing of the Titan and began to leave the base.

"Fine-fine. Lead me to this burrow." Said Ikit, going past Jack and into the outside. Shaking his head, Jack followed the rat as they made their way to the Skaven burrow.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"He'll be fine." Said Chief as he watched High Elf Archer get inside after a brief hustle with the perimeter guards. "Now that she's inside, we got to go to the dropship. Keep it protected." Courier nodded, before the two left for their dropship, hoping that no one was near it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**R reyes- I would be offended by you saying Chief was boring if it wasn't true to an extent. I mean, I love Chief, but, like Batman, he needs that one partner that helped bring out his humanity. Which I was thinking of someone like Thalyssra or Vereesa can help bring that out of him like Cortana did during their time together.**

* * *

**Island**

**Ikit Claw**

* * *

"Yes-yes. Definitely Skaven burrow." Said Ikit as he crawled inside the burrow. It was cleverly made to. The main entrance was small enough that only a Skaven can enter it and it was only wide enough to allow one person to crawl out or in at a time. Makes for good defensive position, even though it limited how many Skaven can come out of their burrow at a time. Still, this could be remedied by having many entrances that led to the burrow, all hidden.

"Well, come back with anything you find, okay?" Said Jack as he watched Ikit crawl. "We need all the equipment on this island to survive." Ikit growled as he nodded. Much as he wanted to keep some stuff to himself in secret, he knew that wasn't possible. That AI, Cortana, had been linked to some small drones that flew.

Though they were all exploring the island for them, all it took was for Jack to give them the location of the burrow entrance and the drones can map the entire place out, with them being small enough to fit the entranceway.

Even if he found another entranceway and collapse the tunnel, that damn Courier and Spartan were good at detecting lies as seen when they first met. So, reluctantly, Ikit had to report all his findings to the group. Though, considering that all the rats they found had only knives and other melee weapons, they likely didn't have much to offer to Ikit other than Warpstone. Even if they had a small amount of Warpstone, it was better than nothing.

Eventually, he made it to the other end of the entrance tunnel. Getting up, Ikit looked around what the Skaven home. Scoffing, Ikit found the home to be nothing special. It didn't have much in terms of anything. No source of light, forcing Ikit to use his halberd and backpack to provide a source of light, feces everywhere, and the smell of rotten food. Signs of a poor clan.

Ignoring the smell, Ikit used his Warpstone detector, something he built to help him with finding Warpstone during his many travels all across his world. Warpstone was a valued resource for the Skaven after all and even the tiniest vein of it was precious.

His Warpstone reader, to his surprise, spiked instantly as soon as he turned it on, indicating that a large amount of Warpstone was around. Suspicious, Ikit went to the direction it was pointing to. Eventually, he found a large hole on a wall in the burrow that was covered with a wooden block, something that was futile as Ikit could see the Warpstone from behind the block.

Pushing the block away, Ikit widened his eyes for a second upon seeing just how much Warpstone there was.

It was a large amount. The entire room was filled to the brim with Warpstone. And the room was quite big, almost as big as one of the big vehicle bays in that IMC base. It was enough to last him for years, even decades. Though he loved the sight of seeing so much Warpstone, Ikit was suspicious.

If the Skaven had access to this much Warpstone, then why did they not use it against the IMC. The dead bodies only smelled dead for about several months and there would still be residual traces of Warpstone-powered weapons around if the Skaven used it. It almost looked like they hoarded their Warpstone cache. Something was off.

"**Must be care-cautious. Something off-off."** Thought Ikit as he grabbed a big chunk of Warpstone and left the Burrow, intending to inform the team of this development and to process the Warpstone for his Storm Daemon and his equipment. As he crawled back, he wondered how the others were doing.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"So, I was thinking of taking her out to this really nice hotel on a place called the Strip. It doesn't sound as bad as it sounds, there's only one place there that has prostitution on it." Said Courier as he talked to Chief, who simply listened in. Cortana was currently monitoring High Elf Archer, using the ear piece the elf had, so there was no need for them to keep an eye on the elf. So, with her covered, Cortana had encouraged Chief to speak to Courier, so he could get used to the man and trust him more. Although reluctant at first, Chief eventually caved in and the two spoke to each other about their lives. Well, as much as Chief was willing to divulge anyway.

"So, it's called the Ultra Luxe. Got the finest rooms, food, and even a functional steam bath in it. Costs quite a cap, about five thousand caps per night there, but its worth it. Plus the steak, god damn, I don't know what Pre-war steak tasted like, but damn, their Brahmin wellington is the shit. Worth every cap, I assure you." Chief just nodded. Once he was done, Chief spoke.

"Why are you telling me this?" Asked Chief. He had no plans to retire. He planned to continue fighting until his body could no longer allow him to fight. Even then, he'll stay in the military and help train the next generation of soldiers.

"Well," Courier rubbed his neck. "I want to make my girl happy, you know. She's an amazing woman and I want to give her the best first anniversary ever. She said not to go overboard, but I kind of want to. She's the only woman that made me feel this way. To spend so much money on her just so she could have a nice time. What do you think?" Chief just shrugged.

"I'm not the person you should be speaking this to. I don't have much interaction with women aside from professional talks with military officials or those under my team." Courier sighed at that, figuring that was the case with this guy. Still, it was nice speaking about it with someone, even if they had no interest in anything but the military.

"So, no girl waiting for you?" Chief shook his head, causing Courier to frown underneath his helmet. "What happened? Something bad?" Chief nodded.

"A lot. I'll say this. Humanity had a terrible war and it nearly caused our extinction. I didn't have much time to find a woman to settle down with. Too many soldiers were dying, and we couldn't afford to have even a single combat ready spartan take shore leave just to meet up with a girl he likes." Courier frowned at that, wondering what this Human Covenant war was. He needed to ask the spartan about it, but from what he could tell, it was a very terrible war. One that might have eclipsed the Great War in size and destruction.

"Besides," Chief then looked away. "Spartans are forbidden to form romantic attachments with others. It creates a weakness that can be exploited by the enemy or prevent one from treating others as equals. That is a problem, especially if you fall in love with a member of your team." Sighing, Courier looked at Chief.

"I get that, but don't you want to fall in love? That war you mentioned is over, right?" Upon seeing, Chief nod, Courier continued. "Then why not go and fall in love. You kind of deserve it for fighting in such a terrible war." Chief then looked at Courier.

"Even if I do, what do I offer? I was a soldier for my whole life. I don't have any skills that are good for civilian life. I doubt I'll ever make a good father and husband."

"I thought the same when I start my journey." Said Courier. "Yet look at me now. Got a great girlfriend and I'm itching to be a good father. You just need to find that woman that gets you Chief. Trust me. Love always finds a way into our hearts." With that, the Courier stopped to look at his pipboy, the strange device that fascinated everyone in his group. As the Courier fiddeled with it, Chief took what the man said into consideration.

He had heard stories of soldiers, who previously didn't want to fall in love, falling in love when they found the right person. Most failed, whether it was due to one dying on the battlefield or because the two fell out of love, but those that held became things that most soldiers strived to have. It gave them hope. And Chief learned long ago that hope can be a powerful tool in a war. Especially one like the Human Covenant war, where entire worlds were made uninhabitable by humanity's enemy, the Covenant.

"Well, what do you think John? Think you can find a girl?" Asked Cortana as she appeared in his HUD, smirking.

"No." Said Chief. "I don't think I could ever find someone to love. I just…don't have an interest." Shaking her head, Cortana knew that she'll have to play a part in finding Chief a girlfriend.

Much as it as forbidden for military soldiers to form relationship with other soldiers on active duty, it was generally okay for soldiers to form relationships with civilians so long as they kept the UNSC's military goals in mind. And although spartans were forbidden from forming romantic attachments with others, she had heard of some spartans ignoring this directive and forming illegal bonds with each other or other military soldiers. Being an AI had its perks.

As a friend to Chief, she felt like Chief deserved a relationship with a woman after all he's done for humanity. He destroyed an entire Covenant armada, defeated an ancient parasitic race several times, saved countless human lives, and even stop galactic genocide twice. If he didn't deserve someone after all that, she didn't what will.

Plus, with her being near rampancy, she had about two years left unless the others can help fix her, she wanted someone else to be there for Chief. To remind him that he was human and to help him get up when he was down. And to provide him comfort that she could never be able to.

The only question is…who? Who could Chief fall in love with and have a family with?

Humming to herself, Cortana already knew several traits that the woman had to have. She had to be strong, all women with a spouse in the military had to be, willing to put themselves on the line for their people and friends and be there for Chief when he needed a shoulder to lean on. Well that last one was more her want than Chief's, but it was something that Chief wouldn't mind.

With those in mind, Cortana placed her plan to get Chief a girlfriend before she goes rampant. He may be annoyed, but he'll thank her in the end. She knew it.

It was then that they all received a transmission from their elf companion.

"Hey, you guys listening?" Asked High Elf Archer as she spoke in the commlink.

"We read you." Said Chief as he and Courier listened in. "What have you got?"

"Man, what didn't I get. These people are anxious as hell." Said High Elf Archer as she saw a couple of merchants anxiously speaking to one another, talking about some kind of enemy. Despite that though, High Elf Archer, through some careful persuasion, managed to convince people to tell her what this place is and what's going on. She got some strange looks from them, like she stupid, when she asked those questions, along with stares of bewilderment, most likely because of how she looked, which she could get annoyed on as she saw the appearance of the few elves in this place.

They were tall as hell and looked like they were sculpted by gods, just like her. The only problem is, they made her look like a teenager with how small she was and how she was as flat as a board. Still she got the info she wanted, though she did had to refrain from punching people or insulting them back when they made fun of how she looked, particularly her chest and height.

"This place is called Theramore. It's a port city for a coalition called the Alliance. Didn't get much on this Alliance other than its filled with a bunch of races."

"What races?" Asked Chief as he and Courier waited for the answer.

"Shit, you name it. They got a whole bunch of races. Humans, bunch of different elf subgroups, Dwarves, and some race called the Worgen, who are particularly werewolves." Explained High Elf as she looked around for any people. She was currently speaking to the others from an alleyway so as to not attract people, but she needed to keep an eye out. She didn't want people to catch what she was hearing.

"Shit. And they all work together to better their lives? No bigotry or racism?" Asked Courier, shocked to hear a coalition with multiple races in it. The only faction in the wasteland in his world was the NCR.

The NCR allowed ghouls, which were humans that have been subjected to large amount of radiation that they lost some of their outer skin and hair, becoming essentially zombies in appearance, in their ranks as well as the military. Despite that though, the ghouls were subject to much bigotry from their human counterparts because of how they looked and the fact that they might go feral, which many ghouls have, unfortunately, became when exposed to more radiation to the point that they lost their higher thought processes, turning them into animals.

There were also super mutants, humans subjected to FEV, some sort of man-made liquid that turned people into super mutants and other abominations. The NCR hated super mutants because, according to a super mutant he encounter name Marcus, their original home town, Shady Sands, was threatened by super mutants when they were an organized force under the command of someone called the Master.

Though the Master was gone, NCR citizens still hated super mutants, largely due to continued attacks on ranches and towns from super mutants that have devolved into raiders once the Master was gone.

Marcus, seeing the hatred NCR had on super mutants, established a, somewhat, peaceful community for super mutants called Jacobstown in the Mojave wasteland. The town was far away enough from NCR towns and interests, that NCR, upon learning about the community's location, allowed them to stay on the grounds that they don't interfere with their operations or attack NCR citizens.

In recent years, however, with the Courier's help, the super mutants of Jacobstown had begun to trade and work with the NCR. Eventually, whether it was greed for more territory or a genuine want to help the mutants, the NCR had Jacobstown, with the blessing of Marcus, become a town under NCR protection.

Some mutants, like the Nightkin Keene, despised this and tried to dissuade Marcus from doing this, but Marcus's word as final. So, reluctantly, Keene convinced his fellow Nightkin to trust Marcus and though Keene hates humans, he nonetheless trusts Marcus on this, especially after Courier and Marcus helped find a cure for the schizophrenia that plagues his people. So, quite surprisingly, things are going well, despite the bigotry the mutants get from some merchants and NCR citizens they meet when they go to trade with towns such as Westside or Freeside.

So to hear that a coalition had so many races together without bigotry was something that the Courier was suspicious of.

For his part, however, Chief was mildly surprised, even then, it was the fact that humans were in an alliance with other races.

The Covenant were a coalition of different races, ranging from the Sangheili to the Grunts and Jackals. And though the Covenant is no more, disbanded after the war, the Sangheili, after being betrayed by the San'Shyuum, have taken the Grunts, Hunters, and some Jackals to form a new coalition, one that worked with humans that they used to fight.

And though tensions were high on both sides, they nonetheless fought against the Covenant in the waning days of the war, earning begrudging respect on one another.

Though John didn't know what happened after he went missing, he hoped both sides didn't go and restart the war. Much as he was a soldier and was willing to fight humanity's enemies, there was no need to fight anymore.

The Covenant was gone and now they had to focus on rebuilding. To have another war was just impractical for them now.

To hear that humans were working alongside other races, even ones' that looked humanoid was a bit surprising to the spartan. Moving on, he focused on what High Elf Archer was saying.

"Well, they have the occasional racist here and there, but all in all, I say they don't have to worry about that kind of stuff." Said High Elf Archer. "Most of the racism and bigotry is aimed at something else, though."

"What do you mean?" Asked Chief. Sighing, High Elf Archer explained.

"Well, apparently there's another coalition called the Horde. Its also made up of various races." Upon hearing that, Courier and Chief looked at each other, concerned.

"What's their composition?" Asked Chief.

"Well, according to these people, Blood Elves, Orcs, Trolls, and undead zombies. I know I'm missing some others. It sounds like there more of these races, but I'm that's all I got."

"Are they at war?" Asked Courier, worried that they might have stumbled on a war between two super powers with multiple races on each side.

"I think so." Said High Elf. "I overheard some soldiers talking about using some big highway to transports soldiers and supplies to various locations where the Alliance and Horde are fighting over land as well as using Theramore as a staging ground against the Horde. That's all I got on that too. Should I leave?" Courier looked at Chief, who nodded.

"Yeah, that should be enough for now. Get back to the ship, we're leaving." Said Chief, needing to make a plan now with this information at hand.

"You got it, just give me…" She was then interrupted when someone yelled out.

"What are you doing!?" Demanded a female voice.

"Hey! Get your hands off of me!" Yelled High Elf Archer as the commlink went dead.

"Crap, we got to save her!" Yelled Courier as he switched his armor for a black and white stealth suit. He then brought out three stealth boys and gave them to Chief. "Let's go!" Nodding, Chief followed Courier as they rushed out to save their teammate.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Let go of me!" Yelled High Elf Archer as she was being dragged by two soldiers, elves by the looks of them. Gritting her teeth, she flayed her legs around as she tried to get free. To her annoyance, it didn't work and the two elves just tightened their grip on her.

As the two elves were escorting High Elf Archer, they wondered how in the hell this girl was an elf. With how she was acting, she was like a human teenager than an elf. Eventually, the two found their destination in the form of their commanding officer, who was patiently waiting for them along with the leader of Theramore. Once there, the dropped the elf, who glared at the two elves while dusting herself.

"We found the anomaly, lady Windrunner." Said one of the elves as he looked at High Elf Archer in disgust, no doubt considering her a disgrace.

"Very good, leave us." Said the Windrunner. With that the two elves left, leaving High Elf Archer in the company of this Windrunner lady and the leader of Theramore, Jaina Proudmoore. Eyeing the green-haired elf with suspicion and some curiosity, Windrunner spoke.

"My men have been telling me that you've been asking some peculiar questions, little elf. May I ask why someone as young as yourself is asking such questions? Questions that you should know about?" Asked Windrunner as she looked at High Elf Archer, who glared back.

"Why? I'm not allowed to ask such questions?" Demanded High Elf Archer as she looked at Windrunner.

She was quite old, probably the same age as her sister. The woman had silver hair and green eyes. She had a toned figure that most elven ranger had, so High Elf Archer assumed that she was a skilled huntress of sorts. That meant that High Elf Archer would have to be cautious around this one if a fight happened. She may be a skilled fighter, but she could never beat an experienced elven ranger in single combat. She just wasn't experienced enough to do so. Plus, there was the human mage with her.

The blond woman was tall, almost as tall as Windrunner, and had blue eyes. In her hands was a staff, indicating she was a mage of sorts. Behind those eyes, were stress and frustration, but it wasn't directed at High Elf Archer. No, the elf had a sneaking feeling that it was directed at this Horde.

Feeling the hostility, the mage spoke up.

"You're allowed to ask such questions, of course." Said the mage, in a calming voice in an attempt to lessen the tension that was occurring between the three women. "It's just that my companion is simply concerned with the safety of Theramore." Upon hearing that, Windrunner looked at the mage in annoyance.

"I have every right to be concerned, Jaina. Theramore is one of the few places the Alliance has a foothold in Kalimdor. With Garrosh going on a destructive rampage, we need to fortify our position in Kalimdor before he escalates the tensions between the Horde and Alliance further. And because Theramore is one of the few places that the Alliance controls, it stands to reason that Garrosh would send spies to evaluate our defenses." Upon hearing that, High Elf Archer glared at Windrunner.

"You think, I'm a spy for the Horde! Over asking simple questions?" Asked High Elf Archer glaring with anger. Windrunner returned the glare.

"I do. And if I were in charge, you would be locked in the brig and under interrogation." Said Windrunner. The two elves then glared at each other for a couple of minutes before Jaina stepped in.

"Fortunately for us, you're not in charge, Vereesa." Said Jaina, outraged with what her friend. "From what your men told us, this elf was merely asking of the situation between the Horde and the Alliance and what each faction represents. She also, oddly admittedly, asked where she was. Although all odd questions, they are all academic and have no significant military gains. Isn't that right, child?" Pouted that she was called a child, High Elf Archer nodded. "Good, though I would ask that I place a detection spell over you so that my friend is appeased. Will that be fine?" Pouting again, High Elf Archer nodded.

"As long as it would get the old prune to get off my back." Said High Elf Archer. Vereesa narrowed her eyes at the insult, but Jaina ignored it.

"Very well. This will only take a moment." With that, Jaina casted a detection spell, designed to detect if one is lying or not, on High Elf Archer. Upon casting it, she determined that the elf was telling the truth. "She isn't a spy for the Horde, Vereesa. Satisfied?" Upon hearing that declaration, Vereesa nodded.

"I am." She then looked at High Elf Archer. "My…apologies. I should not have ordered my men to forcibly take you away." Upon hearing the apology and sensing the truth, High Elf Archer sighed.

"Well that's a fair apology. Next time don't forcibly take people against their will. Sheesh." With that, High Elf Archer was about to leave when Jaina spoke.

"My apologies, elf, but can you tell me your name? As well, can you explain to us why someone as young as yourself is all alone here?" Biting her lip, High Elf Archer.

"My name is Jade Farstrider." Said High Elf Archer with confidence so as to not draw suspicion. Her fake name got a raised eyebrow from Windrunner, who narrowed her eyes. Hiding her nervousness at being found out, High Elf Archer answered the next question.

"I'm on an errand for my group. They thought that I was the best suited for this role so, while they stayed behind to tend to our transportation, I went to get supplies for the road." It wasn't a total lie. They did think, upon finding out the races of Theramore, that she was the best for infiltrating the place and getting information. The armor of Chief and Courier would have had them sticking out like a sore thumb and they didn't have any native clothes to disguise them with. So, with her outfit, they calculated she was the best choice to get in and get out without any complications.

Plus, Chief, Courier, and Cortana were tending to their transport while she went to Theramore. So, if Jaina does another detection spell, she wouldn't be caught lying.

Humming at that, Jaina tilted her head as she spoke.

"They sent you, despite you being so young? Are they incapable of coming here? Are they Orcs and Trolls? Asked Jaina. High Elf just shook her head.

"Nope, they're human. They're just more gifted in terms of fixing things than me. So, while they fixed our transport, I go and shop. Nothing else." Frowning, Jaina casted another detection spell. Upon finding out that she was telling the truth, Jaina nodded her head.

"If that is the case, then should I sent aid to your friends? We certainly have some people that can help." Upon hearing that, High Elf shook her head.

"No. No. It isn't something that you need to worry about, Miss Jaina. We can handle ourselves." With that, High Elf Archer looked around. "So, if that is all, can I go now? My friends might start getting worried with how long I'm taking." Upon hearing that, Jaina nodded.

"Of course, once again, I'm sorry for taking you away on such short notice." Said Jaina. "Have a safe travel." Nodding her head, she bowed respectfully at Jaina before taking off. As she did, she turned around and stuck her tongue out to Vereesa, who narrowed her eyes at the Elf. Once she was gone, Vereesa turned to Jaina.

"Letting her go was a mistake, Jaina. Her friends could be Horde spies without her knowledge. We should have them all rounded up and interrogated." Jaina sighed at that.

Though she could understand the suspicion and hatred that Vereesa, and all high elves for that matter, had for the Horde, their race being nearly driven to extinction by two members of the Horde, it was truly taxing when they started arresting people simply because they thought they were Horde or Horde spies.

While Vereesa didn't have as much hatred for the Horde as other high elves, she still hated them a good deal. The Orcs had killed most of her extended family, including her parents and brother. That disaster caused her older sister, Alleria Windrunner, to go to the Orc home world of Draenor for vengeance. She and her husband, Turalyon, along with the Alliance expedition sent to Draenor disappeared, never to be seen again.

As if that wasn't enough, she lost her other sister, Sylvanas Windrunner, to Arthas Menethil, a former hero to the Alliance and friend to Jaina that had been turned into a death knight and then later became the Lich King, ruler of the Scourge, a faction of undead. And to make that loss worse, Arthas killed most of the high Elf race and turned Sylvanas into a banshee, using her as a weapon against her own people.

Though Sylvanas rebelled and formed her own faction of undead, called the Forsaken, she didn't return to the Alliance, largely because of fear and hatred of all undead, and instead to the Horde, something that hurt Vereesa, no matter how much she tried to deny it.

While it was all tragic, and Jaina felt for Vereesa, she will not tolerate Vereesa arresting people on the whim, even if they're at war with the Horde right now.

"Unless Garrosh had a hidden soft spot for humans, I doubt that her companions are Horde spies." Said Jaina, glaring at Vereesa. "So, please, stop being so paranoid and let this matter go. I can vouch for them. So unless you don't trust me, then go ahead and arrest them." Sighing, Vereesa stood down, much to Jaina's relief.

"Now that you're past this, what do you have to report?" It wasn't common for Silver Covenant, the military faction of the Kirin Tor, a group of some of the most powerful mages on Azeroth, in charge of the floating city of Dalaran, much less the leader of the Silver Covenant.

"**It must be something dire."** Thought Jaina as she looked at Vereesa, who donned a worried look.

"There's been confirmed reports of Horde movement and build up Northwatch Hold. The Kirin Tor and SI:7 believe that it's a prelude to an assault on Theramore itself." Upon hearing that, Jaina widened her eyes in horror. She couldn't believe that the Horde would attack Theramore itself. But then again, its leader was far different from the one that she used to work with.

The horde, during her younger years, had been different. It was still somewhat barbaric, but still an honorable coalition that kept its word on deals it made. Something that its leader at the time, an Orc by the name of Thrall, saw to. And for a time, despite hatred from both factions, things were good. That is until Thrall left to attend a disaster that had befallen on every being on Azeroth. In his place, he appointed Garrosh Hellscream as Warchief until he returned.

Garrosh, for all intents and purposes, was a hothead. He had all the ferocity of an Orc and temper of one, but he didn't have Thrall's patients and wisdom. He believed in taking what his people need, even if he had to hurt others to get them.

From the few times she met Garrosh, the Orc was impatient, arrogant, and more than willing to wage war on the Alliance if it meant a good future for the Orcs and only the Orcs. So, needless to say, Jaina had a bad feeling when Thrall left Garrosh in charge. And now it seemed she was right as Garrosh was intent on waging war on the Alliance for resource on Kalimdor.

Its gotten so bad that King Varian Wrynn, the leader of the Alliance, is building up Alliance forces on the Eastern Kingdoms in anticipation for an all-out war with the Horde, which seems all the more likely with each passing day.

Although Jaina believed that diplomacy can still prevail, she knew that she had to place the defense of her people ahead of her dream of peace, especially if Garrosh intends on attacking her home.

With a sigh, she looked at Vereesa with determined eyes.

"If Garrosh intends to attack Theramore, he will get more than a fight." Said Jaina. "If its not too much to ask, may I request reinforcement from Kirin Tor should Garrosh intends on attacking Theramore." Vereesa nodded her head at that.

"Of course, you can count on the Silver Covenant in being there to defend Theramore should those Horde brutes intend on attacking Theramore." Nodding gratefully, Jaina wondered on who that Elf was and why she looked so different than other elves.

Her appearance was far too young to be an adult. Jaina wasn't an expert on Elf biology, but she should be a young teen for an elf, yet the way that Jade carried herself created a confusing aura that she was much older than Jaina suspected. That and her green hair and eyes were a mystery to her.

As far as Jaina knew, only Blood elves had green eyes, but this Jade's was more lighter then their own, which were a result of their magic. This Jade, however, seemed to have natural green eyes and hair as Jaina didn't sense any magical prowess from the elf. Humming, she wondered who this Elf was and what her group was as well.

* * *

**Later**

**Meanwhile**

**Goblin transport**

* * *

"Well that was a waste of some stealth boys." Said Courier as he and Chief got on the Goblin with High Elf Archer. "I hope you can make more Cortana because we may need them."

"Don't worry. Ikit and I will get right on it. We should have a working prototype in about several weeks. That is if you guys can leave us alone to work." Courier sighed as he looked at Chief who was putting his gun on his back. "So, how was the Stealth boy, Chief?"

"Fine. We'll need to upgrade the duration of each device though. The stealth field went away too soon." Said Chief, recalling a close call he had with an elf when his stealth boy wore off. He barely had enough time to use another one when the elf turned to his direction.

"Well, to be fair, they're hundred of years old. The power supply must have eroded with time." Chief gave a grunt of acknowledgement before looking at High Elf Archer, who took a seat away from the two.

"So, what's the plan?" Asked High Elf Archer. She didn't know about the rest of her group, but she didn't intend on joining either Alliance or Horde. She was fine with killing those that deserve it, but she was a bit reluctant to kill other Elves and both sides had some on their side.

"Well, I don't know about Ikit, Jack, or Chief, but I ain't siding with either side." Said Courier. He was fine with helping the innocent and weak, but he wasn't going to fight for either side, especially since they don't have much information on either. High Elf Archer nodded in agreement before the two looked at Chief, who nodded upon seeing their stares.

"We'll stay out of their conflict unless either side forces our hand. For now though, we should train. We need to coordinate with each other if a battle falls upon us. That means we need to run drills fighting in pairs, alone, and in a group. We also need to know each other's strengths and weakness and the best way to do that is by training. So once we get back, we're going to run drills." Upon hearing that, Courier groaned. That would be fun.

* * *

**Few weeks later**

**Island**

* * *

"Come on, Courier and High Elf! You guys could do better!" Yelled Jack as he ran along the length of a rock formation. It was uneven ground, but Jack was traversing the wall like a pro. As he neared the end of the rock wall, he jumped off and landed in BT's waiting hand, who then placed Jack into the Titan's cockpit. Once inside, Jack piloted the Titan to the finish line, where Chief and Ikit were waiting. As he neared the finish line, Jack suddenly ejected out of the cockpit and used his jump pack to close the distance between his Titan and the finish line. He then landed near Chief and Ikit.

"That's it." Said Cortana before signaling the race was over with an IMC drone outfitted with speakers.

"God damnit!" Yelled High Elf Archer as she landed on top of BT. "It's not fair! Jack has a giant robot with him and all we got are ourselves!"

"I second that." Said Courier as he came into view, out of breath. He had to run twenty miles to get here and was exhausted. He could use a lot of water right now.

"You did say to use every advantage you have." Said Cortana, appearing in another IMC drone, this one being outfitted with a video screen, allowing everyone to see the AI. "That includes BT as he's a standard piece of equipment for Titan pilots. Isn't that right, Jack?" The pilot nodded as he gave BT a thumbs up, something the AI followed with his own.

"Well, next time you won't have your big dumb robot, Jack." Said High Elf Archer as she glared at the pilot, who shrugged. "Next time, I'm going to win and you'll be in my dust."

"Whatever you say." Said Jack as he looked at Ikit, who grinned at seeing the whiny Elf being whiny.

"Alright, with that over with, we need to do another combat drill. Take a ten minute break. After that, meet me in the simulators. We're going to practice team coordination again." With that, Chief left with Ikit in tow.

Now having a break, Courier collapsed at the ground, asking the Jack or High Elf Archer to get him some water. Rolling her eyes, High Elf Archer went to get some water from a nearby IMC crate filled with it. After getting a handful, she dropped them all near Courier, who greedily drank several of.

"You need to work on your endurance man." Said Jack as he watched the Courier drink from several water bottles. If this man couldn't traverse twenty miles without collapsing, then he had no place as a pilot. Then again, the reason Jack could do it was because of some gene therapy that enabled him to run such miles without getting tired.

"F you, man." Said Courier as he drank his last bottle. Once done, he got up and looked at the two remaining organic companions. "Moving on, you think our teamwork needs some more work? I mean we did pretty well the last time in that virtual world."

For the past few weeks, Master Chief had been drilling them nonstop. Even Ikit was put into it, much to the annoyance of the rat as he wanted to focus on his research on…well everything. The spartan had been training them to work with each other, putting them in different pairs each time, trying have everyone learn of each other's strengths and weakness so that when the times comes to fight, they could learn what to rely on the others to do and what not to rely on them to do. He also had them trained in a virtual reality simulator put up by the IMC to train their soldiers.

At first, they did poorly. High Elf Archer constantly got killed when an enemy titan came and fired at her or crushed her under foot. Same thing with Ikit, though the rat fared a bit better.

Courier, Chief, and ED-E did better, but without much knowledge on the enemy, they got defeated when a huge wave of Titans showed up.

Jack, knowing what was in the simulator, did the best and was the only one to survive the first team-up of the group.

After that, however, the five steadily got better with team coordination and fighting with each other. Though Ikit hated the elf and relying on others, thinking they'll backstab him, he did his best to help the others as, much to the rat's reluctance, he needed them to survive.

They kept practicing and practicing until they got their teamwork to work just enough for them to survive a wave of IMC titans and other robotic soldiers. They lost the next wave after that, but they put up a good fight. Still, Chief kept drilling them, saying that they needed to have their skills sharp and up at all times. High Elf disagreed and hated the fact that Chief was ordering them around like soldiers but since Chief was in charge, she reluctantly followed orders.

Ikit also hated the drills as it took him away from building precious Skaven vehicles for himself as well as reverse engineering IMC, UNSC, and Enclave technology. When he brought it up to Chief, the human, much to Ikit's surprise, gave him a compromise.

In exchange for drilling with them, he'll allow him to test his new Skaven weapons and vehicles on IMC drones, ones recently made by Cortana or old junk robots that were no longer useable.

Eager to test his weapons and contraptions, Ikit agreed and spent much for his free time testing his new Ratling gun, and Warpfire thrower, both improved with designs inspired by the technologies of the UNSC, Enclave, and IMC, at those stupid machines. What he got excited him and he soon began thinking of new ways to improve his designs as well as making some vehicles inspired by the vehicles he saw, particularly the UNSC scorpion tank.

Courier and Jack didn't mind, even with Courier complaining about it. They came from harsh worlds and involved in several wars. Some harsh training was nothing to what they had to deal with on a daily basis.

"Like our boss said, we need to train again, even if we're doing fine." Said High Elf Archer, reluctant to get into that virtual world again. Even though she was in awe at it, she was unnerved with how a world can be so perfectly replicated by technology. The fact that the others were so unphased by it, aside from Ikit, who actually drooled in his virtual reality pod when he learned of virtual reality tech, made High Elf realize just how far beyond these people were to her own world.

"He's right, though." Said Jack. "With what you've been telling us, the Horde and Alliance looked like they're about to thrown down with each other. We need to keep our skills sharp, even if the sims are tuned against what either side has." High Elf Archer reluctantly nodded.

When she wasn't training with the others, the elf would go to Theramore and keep an eye on the place while also getting information from travelers and soldiers stationed there. Unfortunately the news she got was always bad.

It seems the Horde was getting even more and more aggressive, attacking anyone remotely aligned with the Alliance, even if it meant killing their own. Just a week ago, they destroyed a grove filled with peaceful druids. Wanting to confirm this, High Elf Archer and Chief took a Goblin dropship to verify this. Under the cover of night, they discovered the location where for grove was, only to see Horde forces mining the location for any resources it had as well as establishing a base. Needless to say, it didn't give them much love for the Horde.

Still, as they weren't affiliated with either side nor did any of them want to, the group decided to leave the Horde alone, which Cortana, and BT said had been the right choice. They predicted that the Horde would assume the Alliance was the result of the loss of their outpost and mining operation and would have attacked the Alliance in retaliation, thus sparking a war. Even though they all knew that war would happen between the two faction unless a miracle happened, they refused to be the spark to ignite it. So, to the reluctance of High Elf Archer, who wanted to avenge the innocent, they left the Horde alone and built up their strength.

And news kept getting worse. Through infiltration of several high-ranking Theramore officials, High Elf Archer determined that skirmishes between Alliance soldiers and Horde warriors were increasing in frequency every day. And they were encroaching on Theramore with each pashing day. She hadn't been there for four days, due to Chief increasing their drills, but High Elf Archer just knew in her heart that it was getting worse.

"Yeah, and I'm telling you guys." Said Courier, looking at the two. "We're going to be dragged into this, no matter how much we want to avoid this conflict." Sighing, Jack nodded his head in agreement. He was about to tell everyone to pack up and meet Chief and Ikit at the IMC base when they all saw a flash occurring in their eyes. Stunned, they all looked around until they saw a massive purple blast occur in the horizon. In the direction of Theramore.

"What the hell!" Yelled Courier as he instantly got up, shocked at what he saw.

"What just happened?" Asked High Elf Archer as she put her hands to her mouth, horror filling her. Jack, however, narrowed his eyes before he placed his helmet. A bad feeling was filling up in him and he intended to correct that.

"We need to meet up with Chief and Ikit now!" Yelled Jack before running to find Chief and Ikit with the other two following soon after. After a few minutes, they found Chief and Ikit, their weapons in tow and going to the launch bay, which was filled with IMC Goblin fighters, IMC phantom fighters, IMC Widow titan carriers and UNSC pelicans. Upon seeing them, Chief looked at the three.

"You saw?" Asked Chief, referring to the exploding purple dome that occurred in the direction of Theramore. Upon seeing them nod, Chief tilted his head toward the armory. "Then get what weapons you want. We're going to investigate." With that, the three went to the armory to get what equipment they need. As they ran, they had a feeling that their decision to fight had just been forced on them.

* * *

**Several hours later**

**Pelican**

* * *

"Alright, team, check your weapons and equipment. We don't know what happened or if there are hostiles in the area. Before we disembark, Cortana will send a drone to scan the area for any hazardous material. If its clear then, we all disembark and sweep for survivors. And if there's hostiles, eliminate them. It doesn't matter if they're Horde or Alliance. You're free to fire back if they attack first." Ikit grumbled at that, but didn't say much. He just continued to tinker with the new Doomflayer he made.

The large, if a bit comical, vehicle was ridiculous to look at. It was basically a large wheel on front with a large arced piece of metal that provided some form of seat for the rat so that Ikit could steer the big wheel, which had several large blades, sharpened to shred flesh and limbs from bodies, no matter how big the victim war.

When the others saw it, they looked at it with incredulous at how impractical and goofy it looked. Those looked changed when Ikit drove the Doomflayer at several IMC spectres and tore them to shreds, showcasing the power of the Doomflayer. Ikit got a kick when he saw the look of horror from High Elf Archer, no doubt she was thinking what would happen if a man-thing or elf-thing was the victim of his Doomflayer.

Good thing that she wasn't on the Pelican. She was on the Goblin with the other two.

"You got it Chief." Said Courier as he radioed in from the Goblin transport he was in. "You sure, we need to bring BT, though? Seems overkill."

"Trust me, better to be overkill now than regret not doing so later." Said Jack as he drove the Goblin. High Elf Archer, meanwhile, prayed that nothing bad happened at Theramore.

Even though she didn't know many people from Theramore, she meet and got to known some people from Theramore. She also got to know the personality of Jaina Proudmoore and couldn't help but respect her for it.

Despite it being an unpopular opinion, she believed that peace between the Alliance and Horde is possible and she was willing to do anything for peace, even if it harmed her reputation. That was something that High Elf Archer could respect. She also got to know that little Gnome, a race that High Elf Archer mistakenly thought as just Dwarves, called Kinndy, who was an apprentice to Jaina.

She was just so adorable and cute. High Elf Archer hoped that both women were fine and no harm came to them.

"**Please be safe." **Thought High Elf Archer as Cortana sent the drone to scan the area so that they could determine if its safe for them to proceed. After a few minutes, she confirmed that it was safe and told them to proceed, though she advised them to be careful as Horde forces were approaching Theramore. Whether to sack or to investigate she wasn't sure.

With that, the two transports began making their way to Theramore, though cautiously as they didn't want to attract the Horde's attention. Eventually, they approached a small landing location that wasn't filled with Horde. It was a fair distance from Theramore, but its distance meant their ships couldn't be easily detected by Horde scouts. Upon landing, Chief ordered everyone to get out and get on the Warthog, Doomflayer, or BT.

Disconnecting the Warthog from the Pelican, Master Chief took the driver's seat while High Elf Archer took the shotgun seat with ED-E on her lap. Courier, liking the big coil gun on the back, got on and manned the big gun. With Ikit on his Doomflayer, and Jack in BT, Chief ordered the team to move forward to Theramore.

"Alright, move out!" With that, the group ventured to Theramore.

* * *

**Sneak peak**

**Warning: Subject to change**

**Dalaran**

* * *

Vereesa grunted as she looked at the man that was responsible for freeing the Sunreavers from their captivity. As the remaining traitors escaped via some sort of flying contraptions, guarded by this stranger's men, including that traitorous Jade Farstrider, Vereesa glared at him with all that she had. If only council of six weren't busy at Stormwind, talking with King Varian about Garrosh and what to do. If they're best mages were here, they could have stop these Horde sympathizers from freeing the Sunreavers. Instead, most of their soldiers were dead, killed by their strange, but deadly technology. And though she couldn't see more, she had a feeling they had more to offer.

As she continued to glare at Chief, she heard the sounds of struggling children. Freezing at the sounds of children, Vereesa looked to see, to her horror, her own children being carried by a overgrown rat with metal armor.

Growling, the rat ignored the half-elves as he carried them on his back. Along with the children was a bag of something, most likely stolen items from Dalaran. Horry filled her as the rat got on a transport filled with other bags and Sunreavers. As soon as he was on, the transport left, taking her children away from this.

Upon seeing this, Vereesa glared at the man in green armor again, hatred and rage in her eyes. With a yell, she got up and clashed at the man with her hidden dagger. Having saw this before she even made it, the man in green armor brought out a strange hilt and pressed a button. Then, before Vereesa's eyes, the hilt formed a strange sword of light.

The sword was two-pronged and had an opening in the middle, where the middle of the hilt was. Along the sides of hilt, the blades of the sword reached out and passed the hilts, encompassing the man's hand and wrist. Seeing, to her horror, her arm was fast approaching the blade, she tried to stop it, but couldn't.

She could only watch as her wrist passed through the blades and it was instantly sheared off. As it passed, Vereesa could feel the heat of the blade as it passed through her flesh. Screaming in pain, Vereesa went to her knees as she clutched her cut arm. Looking around, she saw, to her horror, her hand clutching her dagger. As the bile gathered in her throat, the man in armor deactivated his sword and grabbed her from behind. He then placed his strong arms around her throat and began chocking her, cutting off her air supply.

As she was being chocked, Vereesa tried to fight back, but couldn't tear the man away from her throat. His grip was simply too strong. Eventually, she lost the fight to stay conscious. As she was about to lose consciousness, she thought of one thing. Well two things.

"**Giramar. Galadin." **Thought Vereesa before she lost consciousness. Once she was knocked out, the man in green armor gently laid her on the ground before taking off. Just before he did, he looked at Vereesa and spoke.

"I'm sorry." With that, the man ran towards the last transport and fled with the remaining Sunreavers and his team.

* * *

**So yeah, I wanted to do a minor sneak peek cause I felt like it. If you guys want more of these, I'll do them.**

**And before anyone asks, Vereesa is still up for a pairing between Master Chief and Jack. Though considering that Chief, at least for now, is responsible for…well cutting off one of her hands and then chocking her, that would make for an awkward relationship. Especially, when Alleria comes back. That would also be awkward.**

**So what do you guys think and how should I get Thalyssra into this. I know that it would be sometime, years actually, before Suramar is introduced in Legion, which is too long. Too long for me. So I was thinking of adding the Nightborne, who are really just a way to introduce a Night-elf like race to the Horde, early by having Chief and gang to help the rebels in overthrowing Elisande. And along the way, Thalyssra would get attached to Chief or Jack. What do you guys think?**

**Also, anyone have a team name for them? I was thinking team Dark star or team Sigma, but I think I'll leave it to you guys. Its really something that isn't story breaking, so give me your opinions on what the team name should be.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**11/20/2019- Rewritten due to criticism.**

**Theramore**

"What the hell happened?" Said High Elf Archer in horror as she watched, via some contraption called binoculars, Horde troops begin to move in on Theramore with no one to stop them. That shouldn't be possible. The last time she was here, there was a strong military contingent on Theramore, there were barely any civilians in the city.

Seeing no Alliance soldiers, made High Elf Archer nervous on what had happened.

"Cortana found no life signs in Theramore when we sent in the drones." Said Chief. "She also spotted a large crater in the center of town. If I had to guess, then the Horde deployed some sort of bomb that wiped out everyone."

"If that so-so, then they built big bomb that didn't break-smash city." Said Ikit, growing anger that the Horde had developed such a weapon. It may not have eclipsed his Doomsphere, but the fact they made a bomb that left infrastructure intact made Ikit angry and jealous. He must find out how to make such a bomb.

"Had to be something that doesn't include radiation, right?" Asked Jack. Chief nodded in agreement. Couldn't have been a conventional bomb or even a nuclear bomb. It had to be magical in nature.

Magic. A concept that was foreign to the humans, but completely natural to Ikit and High Elf, though they had differing ways it works in their worlds.

In High Elf, a mage or priest can only cast a certain number of spells per day, no matter how powerful they are or if they're healing or attacking, forcing them to be more tactical in how they used in an adventure.

For Ikit, a person can cast as much as they wanted so long as they had sufficient winds of magic, the energy source of all magic in his world, coursing through their body.

Regardless of their methods of magic, both had no knowledge on what caused the destruction of Theramore while leaving the buildings intact.

"So, what's the plan, Chief?" Asked Courier as he aimed a large anti-material rifle at an Orc in metal armor, who was leading the entire invasion group.

Chief, for a minute, stayed silent as he formulated a plan. From what Cortana told him, there was a strange energy source coming from the crater in Theramore. If he had to guess, the Horde was both securing Theramore and recovering what was in the crater, which likely was the reason that Theramore's population is gone.

If they wanted to figure out what happened in Theramore, they needed to both investigate that strange energy source and capture a Horde soldier, which may prove difficult as there was, at least, a hundred fighters.

Sure, most were equipped with melee weapons, but they spotted at least two mages with them, judging by their staffs. They'll need to play smart.

After a few minutes, Chief spoke up.

"I got an idea. Ikit, how good is your Doomflayer in shredding armor?" Ikit just grinned as Chief began to explain his plan.

"**Me like-like this man-thing."** Thought Ikit, liking the plan that Master Chief just spoke of.

**Later**

**Ruins of Theramore**

Two Orc warriors were busy plundering the remains of a store in Theramore, looking for whatever loot that was useable for the Horde. As they plundered the store, they suddenly heard the sounds of a loud motor start up. Similar to the sounds of a Goblin war machine, but much smaller in sound. Looking at each other, the Orcs came out of the store, wondering what the sounds was, only for a giant ball to come right at them with a giant rat behind it.

The rat laughed manically as the ball smashed into one Orc, ripping him to chunks of flesh, despite his bulk. Stunned to see his companion being brutally slaughtered in such a way, the other Orc roared in anger. He was about to kill the rat when it swiped at him with its halberd, taking off his head.

"**Ha! These are green-skins!? They not as tough to kill-smash as green-skins I know of. Yes-yes."** Though Ikit, reveling in how easy it was to kill these so-called Orcs. With those two Orcs dead, Ikit yelled out a battle cry as he charged into a group of blue-skinned beings. Trolls, if he recalled.

As Ikit was wreaking havoc in the Horde's ranks, Courier was getting into position on one of the towers of Theramore. Having used a stealth boy to bypass the Horde's forces, Courier found a good sniping position that enabled him to both cover Ikit and to take potshots at any Horde mages that tried to wreak havoc on the team. Bringing out his trusty gauss rifle, a slightly rusted gun with massive coils surrounding the barrel, he found a window and began to set up.

Once he was set up, he informed Chief to move in.

"Alright, Jack! You're up." Said Chief as he waited with High Elf Archer for the pilot to commence his attack on the Horde vehicles. Once he was done destroying the vehicles, Chief will bring up the Warthog to support Ikit, who sounded like he was having the time of his life and was most likely attracting every single Horde soldier in the area.

If John was hearing him loud and clear, then everyone else had as well. So they needed to work fast.

"You got it! BT, time for us to show what we're made of." Said Jack before piloting his Titan to three Horde vehicles. He didn't know their function, but upon seeing the large cannon on top of the large vehicles, he guessed that they're some sort of tank.

Upon seeing them activate, Jack fired several missiles from BT's rocket pods on his shoulders. The missiles impacted on the vehicles, piercing their armor, and exploding inside. Upon seeing them blow up with so few missiles, Jack let out a whistle.

"**This will be easy."** Thought Jack as he entered Theramore and saw various Horde soldiers coming out to investigate what happened. Upon seeing the large mech, the group was in awe and shock at seeing it, only for it to quickly go into horror as BT opened fire on their ranks.

The X-25 chain gun had been designed for Titan on Titan combat in mind. As a result, it was usually equipped with armor-piercing ammunition, though it had access to explosive ammunition to use against infantry as well.

Seeing that they're not as advanced as the IMC, Jack had quickly replaced his armor-piercing ammo for high-explosive ones, and it worked flawlessly. The bullets exploded in heaps of glory, taking out whole groups of Horde soldiers. A few Orcs, whether through stupidity or bravery, roared out a challenge and charged at BT.

Once on top of it, they began to hack at BT's feet, trying to take it down. Amused a bit at this, the Titan simply raised a leg and squashed one Orc into paste before swiping at the rest with an arm, sending them all flying to a wall.

As it did all this, a mage sent a large fireball at the mech. When the fireball impacted on his body, BT stepped back in shock. Fortunately, the shields managed to endure the hit, though they lost a full one-fourth of their shields in the process.

As the shields began to recharge, the mage was in shock at how it endured such a hit. That fireball was strong enough to put a hole in a reinforced stone wall, yet this mech had endured it with no scratches. The mage was about to cast another spell when their head suddenly exploded. The few Horde, who was this were in shock at seeing their mage being suddenly killed, before they met their own end in a similar way.

"That's five for me." Said Courier as he reloaded his gun. "Better hurry, Chief, you're missing the action."

"I am." Said Chief before appearing in the Warthog, passing BT as he smashed some bull-like people with him bare hands. Stopping in the middle of the battlefield, Chief got out with High Elf, who brandished her bow. Looking at his friendly elf, Chief motioned for her to go to reinforce Courier while he helped Ikit and Jack with taking out the last of the Horde. Nodding, the elf ran towards the tower that Courier was in.

An Orc saw this and tried to stop her, only to get shot dead by Chief, who fired a few rounds into the Orc. With High Elf safe, Chief looked forward to see an Orc in metal armor coming at him with a giant wolf. Besides him were several other armored Orcs. They all stopped a few feet from Chief, glaring at the spartan, who simply looked back at them.

"You!" Yelled the Orc on the wolf. "You dare fight the Horde! The power of Kalimdor! You Alliance dogs have no sense of preservation! You will all die under the might of the Horde!" Ignoring the idiot's rant, Chief spoke.

"I assume the Horde is responsible for this?" Chief gestured to the ruins of Theramore. "That Garrosh approves of this?" Upon hearing that the Orc leader laughed out loud.

"Of course, he did! He orchestrated the destruction of Theramore, after all. It was his brilliant plan to have this plan filled with Alliance heroes and soldiers. And when Theramore was filled to the brim with the scum, we dropped a mana bomb on their heads, killing them all. Because of his brilliant plan, we killed many Alliance dogs and rid their stench of Kalimdor once and for all!" Ignoring the rant, Chief kept him talking. He needed to know if there were survivors. That civilians were caught in the blast.

"Any survivors? Civilians?" Asked Chief. The Orcs life was dependent on his answer. Upon hearing the word civilian, the Orc laughed.

"Civilians? More like worthless whelps that deserve an axe to the head. When we learned that some Theramore whelps escaped the blast, we sent a warship to destroy them all. They're hunting for them as we speak. And when they find them, they'll all be killed in the name of the Ho…" He couldn't say anymore because Chief had thrown a frag grenade in his open mouth. Widening his eyes in shock, the Orc began to choke on the grenade when it went off, blowing up his head into tiny chunks.

As the other Orcs recovered, Chief aimed his rifle at the guards and opened fire. He managed to kill two Orcs before the other two recovered and charged at Chief, roaring in anger. He gunned down one, before he went into a CQC situation with the other.

Dodging all the Orc's swings, Chief brought out the type-1 energy sword that he brought, ignited it, and sliced at the Orc's hands, slicing them off. Roaring in pain, the Orc starred at his stumps of arms in shock before being decapitated by Chief. Once that was done, Chief contacted everyone.

'You all heard that?" Asked Chief, having kept his comm link open all the time so that everyone can hear what the Orc said.

"Yeah, and I can't believe it." Said High Elf Archer in barely controlled anger. "These Horde. They deserve every arrow they get." She emphasized her point by shooting an arrow into an Orc's cranium.

"While I agree to an extent, we don't know if all of them agreed with this." Said Courier before firing on an Orc. "We need more information before we condemn them all."

"Who care-care!? We kill-smash them all anyway!" Yelled Ikit as he gleefully shredded an elf to chucks of meat with his Doomflayer, enjoying their tortured screams.

"I do." Said Jack as he got out of BT and began fighting on foot, deciding to save up on ammo. "I'm all for defending myself, but we should know if all the Horde is up on this plan. They're a coalition, right?"

Seeing everyone was voicing their opinions, Chief ordered them all to continue fighting but to leave a handful alive. They needed answers. As they relayed their understanding of the orders, Chief reloaded his gun before resuming to fight the Horde.

**An hour later**

**Crater**

"So this is what's cause the destruction of Theramore." Said Jack as he, Ikit, and High Elf looked at the giant metal ball in the crater. Even on the rim of the crater, they could feel the power that was emitting form the giant ball.

"Must be. Got the same color as that big expanding ball of light from before." Said High Elf, pointing to the middle of the ball, revealing that there was a purple glow coming from the inside of the ball. Upon seeing the glow, Ikit growled.

This was, in Ikit's mind, a rival of his Doomsphere and he intended to make sure that he won this little competition. By making his Doomsphere make an even bigger explosion, of course.

"We'll secure it." Said Chief. "Cortana is bringing a Pelican loaded with heavy lift gear. Keep it under guard. As for you four," Chief then looked at the two prisoners they had. Out of the hundred Horde soldiers they faced, these were all that was left.

Well, there were originally four, but two Orcs, tried to gang up on High Elf Archer when she tried to tie them up. If it wasn't for Chief and Ikit, the elf would be missing a head right now.

The two prisoners they had were two Elves, blood elves they were called. The elves stared defiantly at them, their posture speaking of their arrogance.

"Alright, you two are going to explain to us the whole story on what went down here." Said Courier. "If you do, we'll give you a quick death. If you don't, then we'll make you die a very painful death."

"Why would we waste our breath on a human such as yourself?" Demanded the female Blood elf, glaring at the Courier with hate. She had just watched her brother die when that rat shredded him, along with several other elves, with that gigantic wheel. She would be dead as well if that massive being in green armor hadn't knocked her out.

"Because its going to be better than the alternative." Said Courier as he brought out a pistol. "Think about it. You lost against us, even though you outnumbered us twenty to one. You have no idea what else we're capable of. For all you know, we got some rather insidious ways in making you talk."

"Like what?" Demanded the male blood elf.

"Let's see." Said Courier as he checked his pistol. "The rat could use target dummies for his other inventions, that are just as evil as that giant ball of blades that you're acquainted with. Our giant robot can crush you both under his foot, just slow enough so that you can feel your body being crushed. Our elf friend can tell us how to torture you guys. And our green friend can throw you off the highest tower here and then catch you before you hit the ground. And that's some of the things we can do. Willing to cooperate?"

By now, the elves were shaking in their armor. The way the Courier spoke had convinced them.

"Alright, alright." Said the female elf. "We'll talk. We'll tell you everything as long as you let us go."

"Done." Said Chief, fully intending on going back on his word after they tell them what they need to know. He may keep his promises, but he's not going to make a promise to these people, who were perfectly fine with murdering innocent lives. "Though we won't guarantee your safe arrival to Horde territory."

"Fair enough." Said the male blood elf before telling them what happened. "The Horde's war chief, Garrosh Hellscream, wanted to destroy Theramore. It's a strategic position to the Alliance. Not only was it a fortress, but it enabled Alliance soldiers to offload troops and supplies from the Eastern Kingdoms to fight in Kalimdor. Our war chief wanted it gone."

"And you did it by using that bomb." Said Jack, pointing at the giant ball in the crater.

"Yes." Said the female blood elf. "It's a mana bomb, a powerful device that uses Arcane magic to create a powerful explosive. As you see, it doesn't destroy buildings. No, it just disintegrates any living being in its radius."

"Who made this thing?" Asked Courier.

"The blood elves, of course." Said the male blood elf. Upon hearing that, High Elf Archer, who had been eavesdropping the conversation, stomped forward and grabbed the male elf by the collar

"What?!" Demanded High Elf Archer as she glared at the elf. "Your people made this bomb? Why in the hell did you make something like this!?" Shocked to see the little elf lifting him up, the elf nonetheless sneered.

"Have you've been living under a rock, elfling? If you knew what dangers are out in the world, you would see why we made such a device." Said the male elf.

"But that doesn't justify using a bomb against this city!" Yelled High Elf as she glared at both blood elves. The others meanwhile, wondered just how naïve their elf companion was. They knew how naïve she was, but they didn't think it was this far.

While Ikit didn't care, rather he would enjoy the horror she would feel when she saw what else was in store for them, the others couldn't help but feel sorry for her, knowing just how cruel the world can be.

"It was a military target filled with combatants!" Yelled the female blood elf, glaring at the naïve elfling. "It was filled with countless Alliance heroes that could have easily turn the tide against the Horde. Better to kill them all with a bomb than waste Horde lives to kill them all in a conventional way." Upon hearing that, High Elf was about to smack the female blood elf when Chief grabbed her.

"Enough.' Said Chief before pulling her away and into Jack's arms. "Jack, keep an eye on her. I won't have her deal with our prisoners."

"You got it. Come on, High Elf. Let's get you out of here." Grunting, High Elf Archer smacked Jack's hands away and walked away, eager to get away from the blood elves. Sighing, he followed her, but not before telling BT to keep guard on the bomb site. Once she was gone, Chief resumed the interrogation.

"Now, how exactly did you deploy the bomb? I'm guessing you did it by air." Said Chief. The two blood elves nodded.

"Yes. A Goblin airship deployed the bomb from the air. The Alliance couldn't shoot it down as our forces shot down anyone or anything capable of destroying the airship. So when it deployed, it took out all of the Alliance forces in the area." Explained the male blood elf.

"Did any Alliance forces escape? Did any of your forces got caught in the blast?" Asked Courier. The female blood elf nodded.

"Yes. Vereesa Windrunner, along with a group of her Silver covenant followers and Night Elves, pursued our retreating forces. They survived, but their interference prevented some of our forces from escaping in time."

"And they got caught as a result." Said Courier. He sighed when the blood elves nodded in confirmation. With that done, he looked at Chief, wondering what his leader was thinking.

With the full picture, Chief looked at the crater in thought. While he could respect the tactical know how the Horde showed, he couldn't help but feel a cold rage flowing through him at the devastation around him. It reminded him of the Human Covenant war. Of how destructive it was.

Whole human colonies were destroyed, most of the time with their whole population with it. Not just the colony though. No. The planets containing human colonies were glassed, rendered uninhabitable by the Covenant's plasma weaponry.

John could remember the times he had been sent to those colonies, of all the destruction and scorched earth he encountered while walking in the ruined remains of a world destroyed by a bunch of religious aliens.

The destruction of Theramore reminded him of that.

And though a part of him wanted to shoot these blood elves, which he was going to, and declare a self-imposed war on the Horde, he knew that he had to play smart. The others, they needed him and his leadership. There was also the fact that he promised to bring them back home. And he never made a promise that he couldn't keep. There was also the fact that he didn't know if all the Horde was in on it.

So, looking at Courier, who shrugged, Chief quickly put a bullet in both of the elf's heads from his pistol, reacting far too quickly for them to even react to Chief's bringing his pistol at their heads.

"To be honest, I was going to do that if you weren't." Said Courier as Chief placed his pistol back in its secure place on his hip.

"Pretty sure that High Elf won't be as understanding." Said Chief, knowing that she'll be yelling at that after finding out what happened here.

"We'll just say they attacked us, left us no choice." Said Courier as the two looked at the ball in the crater.

"So, what are we going to do after we haul this back to base?" Asked Courier as Ikit began to sniff the ball, having went to the crater during Chief's interrogation of the prisoners.

"Yes, its too dangerous to be left here." Said Chief as he contacted Cortana to get a Pelican loaded with heavy lift gear installed, they needed to get this thing out of here.

"And what about our role in this little war?" Asked Courier, knowing that he won't stand by and let stuff like this happen while he's out doing nothing but training. He got his answer when Chief brought out his rifle.

"Simple." Said Chief before checking his gun. "We join the fight against Garrosh." Courier sighed at that, having a feeling that would be the answer.

"Well, figured that would be the case. So, what do we hit first?" Asked Courier.

"Got a target." Said Jack as he came back with High Elf Archer. After she calmed down, the two came back. They rose an eyebrow at the dead prisoners, but decided to ask later. "Got this from a Horde soldier." Jack then gave Chief a piece of paper. "Can't translate it, but it looks like they have some supply bases and outposts that are vital to their war effort on this continent. Should be worth a look." Chief nodded as he gave the piece of paper to Courier.

"Once we secured the bomb, we're going to prepare for war." Said Chief before leaving. "I hope you're all prepared for that." Ikit just grinned and yelled out in excitement, having heard it with his excellent hearing.

High Elf Archer nodded with Jack, both eager to stop the Horde from taking any more innocent lives. Courier gave a thumbs up, also on board in stopping Garrosh.

**Two weeks**

**Horde supply depot**

"Yup, no denying it." Said Courier as he saw some Orcs put some crates onto a giant lizard that had been trained as a supply wagon, sticking out of some of the crates were large weapons. The human was currently hidden in some rocks, some distance away from the outpost. He was currently watching a caravan of giant lizards loading some weapon and food to somewhere. "This outpost is being used to transport food and weapons to the frontlines."

"You got that right." Said High Elf as she hide between two tents. Unlike her companion, "Overheard some elves. This base is under orders to transport any supplies they could spare to Northwatch Hold, one of the last Alliance bases left in Kalimdor."

"Then we got to stop it." Said Courier as he aimed his sniper rifle at the giant lizards. "Any of them packing explosive material?"

"Oh yeah." Said High Elf Archer as she began to stealthily escape the camp, knowing what was going to happen. "3rd one to the right. Saw some Trolls berating an Orc over nearly dropping a crate, telling him that it'll blow or something."

"All I needed to hear." Said Courier before aiming at the desired lizard. Taking a breath, he aimed at a crate and fired. Moments later, the entire caravan went up in a fiery explosion, taking a good portion of the outpost with it. As the survivors began to recover, Courier began to go back to the Goblin, eager to get out of here.

"You got anything good from that outpost?" Asked Courier as he walked. Not only were the two sent to disrupt Horde supply chains, they were also ordered to find some good intel on Horde movements and plans, so they could disrupt those as well, giving an Alliance some breathing room to work with.

Speaking of the Alliance, after the attack on Theramore, they went out and declared war on the Horde, and the two have been at each other's throat since.

With the declaration for war, the Horde prepared to launch an attack on Northwatch hold, the last Alliance bastion in Kalimdor. The base would have fallen, but Chief had several Phantom fighters, loaded with high explosive missiles, attack the Horde locations that Jack had gotten at Theramore in an effort to delay the Horde.

Flying to their limits, the fighters quickly fired their payloads and left before anyone could see them.

To their luck, the bases were key supply bases for the Horde that been supplying food and weapons to the attack on Northwatch hold. Without those bases and their valuable supplies, the Horde canceled the attack, giving the Alliance the chance to fortify Northwatch hold, though sparsely so as not to repeat what happened in Theramore.

Now, the two sides were at a stalemate. With the Alliance busy gathering what troops and war material they needed to assault Kalimdor and the Horde preparing for an Alliance counterattack.

For their part, team Sigma, the name that the group of off-worlders decided to give themselves, had been sabotaging Horde efforts, taking out supply chains, killing their commanders, and generally causing chaos for the Horde in Kalimdor.

So far, it was working well. The Horde was reeling from the assaults, so much so that rumors were starting in the ranks of the Horde that the ghosts of those slain in Theramore have returned and were exacting vengeance on the Horde for the destruction of their homeland. The attacks had gotten so bad that many commanders, mostly non Orcs, refused to conduct attacks on Alliance forces, instead focusing their efforts in protecting Horde cities and outposts, something that angered many Orcs, including Garrosh himself.

They didn't know Garrosh's reaction to all these setbacks, but they knew he was pissed. From the diaries of blood elves sent to reinforce Kalimdor from their city in the Easter Kingdoms, they gathered that Garrosh was constantly in a rage, even killing messengers that gave him news that another outpost was destroyed.

One elf even claimed that Garrosh was blaming the other races for these losses, saying that, if those outposts were manned by only Orcs, they wouldn't have fallen.

This naturally angered the other leaders of the Horde to the point that rumors were forming that the other leaders were starting plans to overthrow Garrosh. Such rumors interested Sigma and they sent High Elf Archer, after dying her hair and eyes to match those of a blood elf, to Quel'Thalas, the city of the blood elves, to see if those rumors were true.

She couldn't get much, the leader of the blood elves, Lor'themar Theron, was uptight when it came to security of his city. If it wasn't for High Elf's good infiltration skills, she would have been caught the first time she infiltrated Quel'Thalas.

Anyway, all she could gather was the rumors of rebellion were growing even more in Quel'Thalas, especially in the upper levels of government for the blood elves. She also gathered that the blood elf commanders were angry at Garrosh, feeling that the Orc was becoming more and more ridiculous and vile as he kept insinuating laws that benefited Orcs and Orcs only. That little tidbit interested the team and they wondered if they could convince Lor'themar to rebel as it was clear to them that the elves were sick and tired of having Garrosh as a war chief.

Though, unless they could give him a good reason to rebel, the elf would likely not do so as he would be putting his people in danger from both the Alliance, who had more kingdoms and bases near his city than the Horde did, as well as reprisal from Garrosh, who didn't take betrayal very lightly. So, putting that thought aside for now, the team decided to focus on just disrupting Horde supply chains, something that was working well for them.

"Got some little tidbit." Said High Elf Archer as she ran towards the Goblin transport, confident that she can escape long before any elves spotted her. "Apparently some new found land was found. Horde troops are being transported to this new land so they can make their own stake on it. No doubt they want to plunder the resources there." Courier nodded in agreement at that.

"Let's inform the others of this once they get back at base." Said Courier as he got on board the Goblin, waiting for High Elf. As he waited he wondered what the others were doing.

**Meanwhile**

**Ikit**

"***Laughs manically*** Yes-yes! Run fools-fools! Run before the greatness of Ikit claw!" Yelled Ikit as he chased after some Trolls, who were running away from the crazy rat. At first, they were eager to fight him, but then they saw him coming at them with his Doomflayer in all its glory. After it ran over some Trolls, the rest retreated, scared out of their mind.

Jack, meanwhile, shook his head before he put a lot of bullets into an Orc that tried to bludgeon him to death.

"**Why am I always paired up with this crazy rat?"** Thought Jack as ran towards BT, who was shooting down some mages that were trying to cast some spells on Ikit. Using his jumpack, Jack jumped high enough for BT to grab him midair before putting him inside the cockpit.

With Jack inside, the two began to exterminate any and all mages that tried to focus on them or Ikit.

This was a standard mission for them. While Courier and High Elf Archer normally got the infiltration and sabotage mission, with Chief occasionally helping them, Jack and Ikit, if the rat wasn't busy building something, were sent to destroy entire groups of Horde soldiers that tried to reinforce the forces on the frontlines. Primarily those that were sent to Northwatch Hold.

They only acted on intel acquired from High Elf Archer and Courier in their attacks, of course, as it would be too risky for them to act on their own accord. For all they knew, the group they attacked could be even larger or were more powerful than they initially believed. And with they're small numbers, they couldn't afford casualties. So, the three attacked groups that they were certain wouldn't be too much of a problem for them.

And it worked for the most part. Aside from that one time that Ikit decided to launch a Doomrocket, a rocket filled with Warpstone, which unfortunately backfired and nearly killed them, the three managed to wipe out all battlegroups they came across with the survivors spreading rumors of demons hunting Horde troops, something that amused them all.

Unfortunately, the Horde was wising up. They were sending their groups and convoys in larger groups so as to prevent these occurrences from happening again. And its working. Sigma team couldn't attack without losing one of their own. To rectify this, Cortana was working with Ikit on creating a satellite weapon that could give them support without giving away their island like a Phantom fighter would. It was still in the prototype stages, but Cortana was confident it would work. They just needed to figure out a way to launch the satellite without giving away their secret base.

For now, though, they would have to focus on just destroying supply convoys and assassinations.

As BT squashed the last Horde warrior, a Tauren, into paste, Jack radioed Ikit with the transmitter that they managed to retrofit into his armor.

"How's it going on your side? Are all those Trolls you chased dead?" Asked Jack. Not to his surprise, Ikit laughed out loud.

"Yes-yes! Stupid horn-things thought they could run-escape from Ikit's genius contraption! But they wrong-wrong!" Yelled Ikit as he hopped on top of a dismembered Troll, not caring that he was spraying blood everywhere. Sighing at Ikit's antics, Jack spoke again.

"Anyway, how's the satellite going?"

"Work into space rocket going good-good." Said Ikit as he calmed down. "Need more time-time to make it work without going boom-explode. After that, need to think-plan way to launch without giving away burrow-base." Jack nodded in agreement at that. He wondered if he should help with brainstorming ideas on how to accomplish that.

"Moving on, you think Chief is fine?" Asked Jack. Last he remembered, Chief left to investigate a strange energy source that Cortana found on a group of islands called the Broken Isles. Though Jack was confident in his leader's abilities, he couldn't help but worry for him. They still didn't know what was on this world or if the locals on the Broken Isles were hostile. And if he died, then their leadership was in shambles.

"Man-thing will be fine-fine. He has this musk around him that I've only smelt from a handful of humans." Said Ikit as he drove his Doomflayer to the Widow transports, eager to get back to base so he could continue his experiments. "Besides, man-thing is smart. He knows when to fight-fight and when to run-run."

"I suppose. Still, I can't help but worry for him." Said Jack as he and BT walked away, eager to get back to base before Horde reinforcements arrived.

**Chief**

**Broken Isles**

"Is this where the energy source is coming from, Cortana?" Asked Chief as he ventured through the forests of the Broken Isles, particular the landmass called Suramar, a name he gotten from a map that was being carried by an Orc commander after he sniped the green-skin from afar.

"Positive, Chief. Just keep moving forward and you should be within visual contact of it." Said Cortana, responding from their secret base on an island some distance from Kalimdor. She was able to speak to him via a link they had with his suit and the base's transceivers, but the long distance from Kalimdor and the Broken Isles meant that Chief could barely hear Cortana with all the static. Until they built a signal amplifier in the Broken Isles, which was actually one of Chief's objectives here, he would have a hard time getting a transmission from Cortana or the others.

He would have brought her, but she was needed more at the base. As a result, Chief was on his own. Something that the spartan was fine with. He was used to it.

First objective was finding out what this source was and to determine if it's a danger to them if possible, with the 2nd being to find a location to build a signal amplifier on the Broken Isles, preferably somewhere high up, like a mountain, so as to prevent locals from tampering with the equipment.

As he ventured further into the outskirts of the forest, he saw something glowing purple on the edges of the forest. Believing he found the anomaly, Chief ventured slowly, assault rifle ready.

Eventually, he found his way out of the forest and to a beach. From the beach, he saw, to his slight surprise, a giant purple dome.

The dome was some distance away from the beach, located in the middle of a lake. Around the dome were small pieces of ruined stones buildings that were submerged in water.

Curious, Chief was about to report this in when he heard some rumbling nearby. Acting quickly, he turned around to find several lanky, thin-limbed, almost zombie-like monsters coming at him, hungry in their purple glowing eyes.

Without warning, Chief opened fire with his assault rifle, the bullets ripped through entire limbs as the bullets went through the monsters like wet papers. Four fell down from the barrage, but the other three charged forward, running up to him in frightening speed.

His assault rifle useless in this range, Chief brought out a Type-one energy sword, weapons of his enemy, the Covenant, and engaged the monsters in close-quarters combat.

Though Chief wasn't an expert in using an energy sword, not like those of a Sangheili, who spent much of their adult life in practicing their skills with the energy blade, skills wasn't needed for these beasts as they performed no better than wild animals.

Dodging a swing from one, Chief sliced the head off from one before grabbing the head of another that tried to pounce him. Slamming the monster into the ground hard, killing it from the force, he ducked when the last one tried to pounce him as well. As it tried to get up, Chief stabbed it in the head, preventing it from rising and attacking him again.

With his enemies dead, Chief stopped to look at the monsters that attacked him.

They had dark-purple skin that had patches of flesh that flowed faintly. They all had patches of clothes that were worn and ragged in nature. Inspecting a dead monster, Chief could see small tufts of hair on its head. Further examination showed a pendant on its person, showcasing that this used to be intelligent.

Wondering what happened to this being, Chief was about to leave when he heard more ruffling, this time much closer.

Acting quickly, he turned around and grabbed the being that was just behind him. Seeing that he caught someone, he slammed them into the ground and brought out a pistol. He was about to fire when they spoke.

"Asheiw!Asheiw!" Said the being as it raised its hands in surrender. Upon hearing the words, Chief stopped and looked at who he acquired.

The one that he captured looked exactly like the ones that attacked him just a few minutes ago. But unlike them, this one seemed more intelligent, based on its eyes and how properly maintained its clothing were. The fact that it spoke also meant that it could be interrogated and reasoned with, something that stayed Chief's hand. Getting off, Chief pointed his gun at the being and motioned for it to get up. Once it did, it spoke again in a language that Cortana's translation program was trying hold to translate.

While they were here, Cortana had made a translation program for Chief, Jack, and Courier so they could understand the locals that don't speak the same language as they do. It wasn't complete, they didn't have much to work with as the only references they had were books from Theramore and diaries from Blood elves that they acquired from attacks on Horde outposts, but it was better than nothing.

As the being continued to talk, however, its words began to become more and more coherent until eventually Chief can understand it.

"ashuione…have you any idea what you've done!?" Demanded the being as it pointed at Chief with fury in its eyes. "Those were my latest test group! I needed them to complete my work on the withered." Now understanding it, Chief spoke, hoping that it could understand him as well.

"They attacked me first, I have the right to defend myself." Said Chief, shocking the being. After recovering, the being spoke again.

"Yes, I understand that, but I needed them to further my research on the withered. Without them, I need to find another group." Sighing, the being shook its head and looked at Chief. "Moving on, what exactly are you and why are you here in the ruins of Suramar?" Deciding that it would be best to show, Chief pointed to the big dome behind him. Upon seeing what he was pointing to, the being sighed.

"I see. I should have figured that would be the case." Said the being before speaking again. "And I suppose you want to know what it is and what's inside?" Chief nodded. "Well, then how about we make a deal? You help me find a new group to help further my own research and I'll give you all the information you want about that dome and its inhabitants. What do you say?" Pausing at that, Chief went into thought.

On one hand, he didn't know much about this being and what it wanted. For all he knew, this thing could be trying to get him killed or use him to create terrible monsters, such as those creatures.

But on the other, he needed to know about that dome, what it was, and who was behind it. Plus, he could always just shot the being when it was determined that his research was harmful to him and his group.

"Alright then. But first, you tell me who you are and what that thing is. After that, I'll help you." Sighing at that, the being nodded in agreement.

"Very well. My name is Kel'danath. I used to be an arcanist in the city that is being protected by that barrier behind you." Said the being as it pointed to the purple dome.

"Explain." Said Chief as he looked at the dome.

"While we're moving." Said Kel'danath as he began to walk away from the beach. Chief, having made a deal, followed Kel'danath to his destination. As they walked, Kel'danath began to explain the whole story of the dome and why it was put up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**R reyes- Well Garrosh was, initially, a decent, if flawed, Orc. Sure, he was an Orc supremacist, but he always put the Horde's needs before any other fraction, AKA Alliance. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when Thrall, who either must have smoked something bad, was under the secret influence of an Old God, bad writing, stupidity, naivety, or something else, gave Garrosh in charge, despite the fact that several trusted advisors, including Garrosh himself, told him that it was a bad idea leaving Garrosh in charge.**

**Well, admittedly Garrosh did okay as Warchief at first, he didn't do anything controversial or against Horde ideals, like implementing laws that benefitted only Orcs, it was during Cataclysm that he really crossed the line.**

**He ousted non Orcs from Orgrimmar, did the Theramore bombing, and generally not carrying for the other races of the Horde, despite the fact that, if it weren't for the Trolls of Tauren, the Orcs wouldn't be in the position they are now.**

**To make matters even worse, there wasn't any laws that allowed other Horde leaders to impeach Garrosh for his actions, well technically they had Mak'gora as a sort of way to replace leaders, but that way is very flawed. (Which is one of the reason I support Alliance, at least you can impeach the Alliance High King, they also can't really force other races in the Alliance to do what they say without major repercussions.)**

**If you ask me, Garrosh was fine as a military leader. Sure, he's an asshole and an Orc supremacist, but at least he's an effective coomander you can point at a target and he'll destroy it with glee and efficiently, as much as Orc honor can allow it.**

**Having him as the main leader of your faction, however, was just begging for war to happen.**

**mangaG- Yes, theNightborne will be cured of their addiction before the Legion come. Also, am I missing something, but aren't the Blood Elves already cured of their addiction by this point?**

* * *

**Stormwind**

* * *

"Make sure that Northwatch is reinforced more. We can't let the Horde take it." Said King Varian, king of Stormwind and leader of the Alliance, to Mathias Shaw, leader of SI:7, Stormwind's intelligence division along with other Alliance commanders.

"I'll inform what few men we can spare to head to Northwatch as soon as possible." Said Shaw.

"Good. Now is there any information from the Horde in Kalimdor?" Mathias Shaw nodded as he informed Varian what his spies have told him.

"Much, my king. Much of it good news." Said Mathias. "Lately, the Horde has been suffering supply problems. Caravans of supplies have been getting destroyed along with their guards. Entire platoons of soldiers have fallen. Even entire outposts have been destroyed." Upon hearing that, Varian stopped studying the map before him and looked at Mathias with a hint of surprise in his stoic face.

"Really?" Asked Varian as he looked at Mathias. "How bad is it?" Mathias didn't react much, but Varian could see the man had amusement in his eyes.

"Extremely. Planned Horde attacks on Alliance bases on the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor are being put on hold because of these attacks. Morale is running low on the frontlines. Even the Warchief is being affected greatly by these attacks. One of my spies in Orgrimmar has witnessed Garrosh killing a messenger for reporting the destruction of a supply base that was vital to the Horde's cause. They reported in detail how enraged and impatient the Orc was when the messenger gave his ill-fated message. He didn't even allow the messenger to finish his sentence before he cleaved the man in two"

Varian pursed his lips in contemplation at this information. Garrosh was always a hothead from the few times he encountered him, but he generally had a grip, if a soft one, on his temper. To hear that he was impatient enough to kill a man so quickly, made Wrynn think of how he could use this against the Horde.

The High king knew more than anyone else in the Alliance of how rage can be used against a foe, having hurt some of his closets advisors and even his son with his rage. If Garrosh continues to be in a grumpy mood, they could use that to make their enemy predictable in his tactics and strategies. It won't stop Horde commanders like Sylvanas, who, more or less, does what the heck she wants, but the majority will follow Garrosh's orders in fear. Something that could also be used to their advantage.

As he thought of ways to capitalize on this, a messenger suddenly bursted into the war chamber. The pale face they had indicated they brought terrible news.

"My king!" Yelled the messenger as they stopped before the table where all the Alliance commanders were. "Grave news from the front. The ship that contains your son just went missing!" Upon hearing that, Varian widened his eyes in shock and horror. Looking at the messenger, Varian narrowed his eyes, causing everyone to shuffle in nervousness. The high king was not someone to mess with when his temper flared up.

"Tell me everything." Demanded Varian, his voice deceptively calm. The messenger gulped before explaining everything to Varian.

* * *

**Broken Isles**

**Chief**

* * *

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Chief. We'll install the signal amplifier while you do…whatever the heck you need to do." Said Courier before ending the transmission. Chief, his conversation with Courier done, looked at Kel'danath as he led him to a large, broken-down, and decaying mansion that had local plants growing all over the place.

"Ignore the plants and the decrypt state the mansion is in." Said Kel'danath as he led Chief inside. "Its what's inside that matters." Taking the Nightborne's, the name of the species of elves that this man belonged, word as truth, Chief continued to follow Kel'danath as he led him to his laboratory, where he tried to find a cure for the Withered state that his kind turned to when they ran out of Arcane magic to feed on.

As Chief discovered, the Nightborne were a subspecies of Night Elves, probably the oldest species of Elves on Azeroth, that came from the city of Suramar, a sort of jewel in the Night Elf empire some ten thousand years ago. Although Kel'danath didn't say what exactly happened, he did tell Chief that some terrible event caused the rulers of Suramar to put up a magical barrier to protect Suramar from something. So, while the rest of the Night Elf empire fell, Suramar remained intact with its populace. While proected by the barrier, the Night Elves of Suramar transformed into the Nightborne due to the energies of something called the Nightwell. Unfortunately, their isolation came at a price.

Though Suramar had some fertile land in it, it wasn't enough to support the large population of the city. So, to avoid starvation, the arcanists, essentially the top tier magic users of the Nightborne, created some sort of drink called Arcwine to provide nourishment to the Nightborne after they ran out of food. Apparently, the drink was made by infusing energy from the Nightwell with regular wine. And it worked quite well.

Unfortunately, as Kel'danath soon spoke, the Arcwine had some disastrous consequences. It made the Nightborne completely addicted to the energies of the Nightwell. Even worse, if they don't receive a steady supply, they'll become Nightfallen, Nightborne that haven't received energy from the Nightwell, resulting in them going through some extreme forms of withdrawal symptoms.

The first stage was becoming weaker and becoming desperate to acquire Nightwell energy as well as becoming thin and quite hideous to look at. With the next becoming Withered, the creatures that Chief faced when he first came here. The last step was death.

As a result of this, Kel'danath made attempts to find a cure for the addiction problem the Nightborne had as well as finding another source of nourishment for the Nightborne to feed off of. Unfortunately, a test group of his escaped their confinement, and rampaged Suramar until they were put down. As a result of this, Kel'danath was forced to choose either exile, the usually punishment for the Nightborne after isolating themselves from the rest of the world or stopped his research. Not willing to abandon his work, Kel'danath choose exile and continued his research in less ideal conditions.

Chief couldn't help but feel pity for the Nightborne. He was just trying to help his people and got exiled as a result. He also couldn't help but respect the man. Despite being exiled by his people, he still tried to find a cure for their addiction.

As they walked, Chief spoke to Kel'danath.

"Tell me, are you close to discovering a cure for your people?" Asked Chief as they entered a room. Upon entering, Chief saw various lab notes all over a desk and a Withered being kept in a corner via some sort of magic circle.

"***Sighs*** I believe so." Said Kel'danath as he looked at the Withered in the room with them. "This one is showcasing particularly strange behavior for a Withered. It's docile nature is unnatural for any Withered. If I could tap into its memories, find out where it went, perhaps I can figure out what caused its docile nature."

"If you have this creature, why did you attack me back at the beach?" Asked Chief, curious.

"Because that group was a backup plan in case the plan with this Withered backfired!" Yelled Kel'danath. "And since you killed them, I have to hope that this specimen has the answers I need." He then looked at his scrawny hands. "I have to because I'm close to becoming a Withered myself."

Chief looked at the man in pity at that. To lose one's mind is something that the Spartan didn't wish to even his most hated of enemies. Well that and becoming a part of a Flood gravemind, where they lose their individuality and become a weapon to be used against their former friends, which is something that this Kel'danath may eventually do when he becomes a Withered.

"Is there no way to reverse it or even delay it?" Asked Chief as Kel'danath looked through his notes. Kel'danath just shook his head at that.

"There isn't, I'm afraid." Said Kel'danath as he looked at Chief. "The only way to reverse this is to acquire some Arcwine before I fully turn into a Withered. And the only way to acquire it is to bypass the barrier surrounding Suramar. And I'm afraid I don't have the skills needed to infiltrate Suramar, acquire a barrel of wine, and escape with my life." That answer gave Chief the solution he needed to get Kel'danath's trust.

Much as he's a soldier, he knew the benefits of having friends in organizations that you don't know are hostile or not. And in a unknown world filled with unknowns that Chief didn't know were friend or foe, it was good to have friends.

"Then let me acquire the wine." Upon hearing that, Kel'danath looked at Chief incredulously, unbelieving what he just heard. "If I acquire the wine, you promise to help me in whatever endeavors I ask of you. Do we have a deal?" Kel'danath looked at Chief in suspicion now.

"Do you intend to invade Suramar? To rope its riches or enslave its populace?" Demanded Kel'danath, not wanting to betray his people. Chief shook his head.

"No, my group and I are small in number. We need allies and friends if we are to survive this world. And I got a feeling that your people will need the same once the outside world comes to them." Explained Chief. Looking at Chief, Kel'danath tried to find some tell that he was lying but found he couldn't, the armor and helmet did well in covering his intent.

"Let me cast a detection spell on you." Said Kel'danath as his hands glowed with magic. Gripping his rifle, Chief watched as the Nightborne cast a spell on him. Upon finding that nothing severe happened to him, Chief looked at Kel'danath who pursed his lips in thought once he found the truth of Chief's words.

"Well, this is certainly interesting." Said Kel'danath as he looked at his note filled table. He spent some time thinking before giving John his answer. "Alright, if you help find a cure for my people, gave me back my position in Suramar, and prevent my turn into a Withered, then I'll do what I can to convince my city to help you in any shape or form." Frowning behind his helmet at the requests that Kel'danath asked of him, Chief nonetheless agreed, knowing that they needed allies and this was one of the best opportunities for them to acquire some.

"Very well." Said Chief. "Now, how do I get into Suramar." Kel'danath then spoke of a way into Suramar and where the wine was being stored and produced.

* * *

**Later**

**Suramar city**

* * *

Within the beautiful city of Suramar, a Nightborne woman was walking in one of the city's many gardens.

For a race known for their beauty, at least to humans, this woman was quite and exceptional form of beauty for her kind.

Having a lovely shade of dark purple that fitted her silver, pupilless eyes, the woman was attractive. Well, for human and Elf standard anyway.

Her ropes were simple, but also elegant at the same time. The ropes showed off her long legs, arms, and some parts of her back. On top of the ropes, where shoulder guards and a hood that had small openings on top that allowed her long ears to jut out of the hood.

Aside from the ropes, shoulder guards, and hood that was connected to the ropes, she had no other clothing than some ankle guards, leaving her barefooted.

Sighing, the woman moved some of her long silver hair, that matched her eyes, behind her left shoulder. She was troubled over what she had to deal with just half an hour ago.

She just went through another argument with Elisande, the leader of the Nightborne, and her biggest supporters. The two had been arguing quite a lot lately.

This time, the argument was about dealing with the populace that was slowly turning into Nightfallen, the stage before a Nightborne becomes a Withered, along with their growing populace.

Despite their productions of Arcwine going smoothly as usual, the amount given to the populace, aside from the nobles and others in the high class, wasn't enough to prevent some of their people from going into the Nightfallen. Fortunately, they were able to give them more Arcwine or Arcjuice, a form of Arcwine more suitable for underaged Nightborne, before they could devolve into a Withered, but the fact that this happened and that these were growing in frequency, was of concern to the woman.

There was also the fact that their population was growing far larger than what Suramar can accommodate. Despite birth controls being implemented, the populace has been steadily growing to the point that the woman feared that they couldn't produce enough Arcwine to feed everyone.

She tried to get Elisande to increase the amount of Arcwine and juice to the lower class as well as to lower the barrier so they could expand into other territories or at least expand Suramar.

To her frustration, Elisande refused to listen to reason along with many of her top advisors and arcanists.

They claimed that the amount given to the lower class was suitable enough and that they can't lower the barrier, citing that the world was in ruin and that nothing was left for them to claim.

Despite her telling them that its been ten thousand years since the Burning legion attacked, that they should have left long ago, they refused to listen to logic. Even when she proposed the idea of sending a small scout group to determine if there was land that was safe for them to colonize, they outright rejected her proposal.

They've been at this for weeks until today where the woman had to excuse herself from the council meeting so as to deal with the headache that was forming when she had to listen to Elisande's arguments against her ideas for the umpteenth again.

Rubbing her forehead, the woman was trying to think of ways to convince Elisande that her course of actions were the proper way to deal with their issues when her ears twitched, indicating that they heard something. Narrowing her eyes, she looked over to the garden bushes. Stopping her walk, she gathered Arcane energy in her fists before speaking.

"I know that you're there. Show yourself." Said the woman at the bushes. A few seconds passed before, to her shock, a green, armored, giant appeared from nowhere, just in front of the bushes.

It was unlike anything that she had seen. A black substance covered greatly by green metal plating, but in a design that she had never seen. Not to mention just how tall he was. The being was seven foot and two inches, below the average for an Elf male, but still quite tall. The inelegance of the design told her that this wasn't the making of an Elf, but rather by another race, something that shocked her beyond belief.

That meant that another race, somehow, gotten past Suramar's barrier. If that was the case, then this needed to be told to Elisande right away. Perhaps it would even convince her to lower the barrier. There was nothing like a threat to Suramar's safety and the Nightborne, that can get Elisande's attention, like the time when Kel'danath's experiments went loose, nearly killing a few people.

Though she sympathized and understood his intent, the fact that she herself was nearly killed by one of his Withered experiments, really hurt her pity for her fellow arcanist. Still, she thought it was too harsh for Elisande to have Kel'danath exiled because he refused to stop his experiments. His work was for the betterment of their people.

Moving on, unless this…unknown stated its intent, she will take it in, alive or dead. As the two stared down at each other, the being spoke.

"I come in peace." Said the armored giant as it lowered the weapon it held, some sort of strange staff that he held sideways and with two hands. "I came here on behalf of Kel'danath himself." Upon hearing that, the woman's eyes widen in shock. Remembering Kel'danath, the woman dispelled the arcane energy from her hands and she looked at the armored giant in shock.

"Kel'danath, he hasn't turned into a Withered, yet?" Asked the woman, wondering the state of her fellow arcanist. Like she said, she pitied Kel'danath, despite one of his Withered nearly killing her, and she wanted to know of her fellow arcanist's fate.

"He's fine, but he's nearly in the process of turning to one." Said the armored giant before bringing out a barrel. Upon seeing it, the woman instantly recognized it as one of the barrels used in the storage of Arcwine. Now knowing why this giant was here, the woman looked at the giant.

"How did you manage to steal this barrel?" Asked the woman, curious and a bit worried that someone died for that barrel. Hearing the worried tone, the giant spoke.

"I didn't kill anyone, though a few guards will have a serious headache when they wake up." Said the giant, assuring the woman that no one was killed. Still suspicious, the woman raised her hands up, glowing.

"If what you say is true, then you wouldn't mind if I check to see if you're telling the truth? After all, when I find that you're lying, I'll have to report this to Elisande and she'll most likely send the Duskwatch after Kel'danath for this transgression." The giant looked at the Nightborne woman before getting close.

"Make it quick. If anyone spots me, I can't guarantee I won't kill anyone." Said the giant as he looked around for anyone else. Nodding in understanding, the woman quickly cast a lie detection spell on the giant. Upon finding that he was telling the truth, the woman took a step back.

"Forgive me for this, but as First Arcanist to Suramar, I have to put the needs of my people first." Said the woman. The armored being nodded at that.

"You're a leader to your people. You don't deserve that position if you don't even try to take care or look out for the people that you're responsible for." The woman smiled at that.

"Exactly." Said the woman before her ears started twitching. "You might want to go soon. I hear footsteps approaching. They'll be here soon." Nodding at that, the being took the barrel it had, put it over its right shoulder before beginning to depart. Just as it did, it turned around at the woman.

"What's your name?" Asked the being. Stunned a bit at that, the Nightborne woman replied back.

"I'm First Arcanist Thalyssra. And yours?" Asked the woman, now known as Thalyssra.

"Sierra-117. Or Master Chief." Said the being before stealthily going away. A bit surprised at his choice of a name, Thalyssra didn't have much to ponder on it before members of the Elisande's personal guard arrived.

"First Arcanist, lady Elisande has requested your presence." Said one of the guards. Upon hearing that, Thalyssra turned to the guards.

"What is the concern?" Asked Thalyssra, though she had a suspicion to what it was.

"Thievery, First Arcanist. A barrel of wine was stolen recently and Elisande has set up an emergency meeting to discuss this immediately." Said the guard. "We've been ordered to escort you to the council chambers."

"And has anyone been killed?" Asked Thalyssra, despite knowing who stole the wine and the fact he, at least she thought so, didn't kill anyone.

"No, the guards assigned to guard the barrels were knocked out, but not killed. It had to be someone of great stealth." Said the lead guard.

"Indeed." Said Thalyssra. "Enough with this. Elisande wants my presence and she'll have it. Escort me to the council chambers." Nodding at that, the guards then began to escort Thalyssra to the council chambers. As they walked, Thalyssra couldn't help but think of that Master Chief.

"**Hmm…if an outsider came and can communicate with us…does this mean that we can lower the barrier and interact with Azeroth?"** Thought Thalyssra as she walked with the guards.

* * *

**Chief**

**Kel'danath estate**

**An hour later**

* * *

"I can't thank you enough for acquiring this." Said Kel'danath as he drank straight from the barrel of wine that Chief recovered. After taking a mouthful, Chief watched as the man began to change before his eyes. He didn't change much, a skin became fuller and its tone changed to a brighter, but still dark, violet color, but he was much healthier than he was before.

"You'll stay this way?" Asked Chief after Kel'danath was finished.

"Well, unless you want to risk yourself in acquiring another barrel, then yes. Besides, I never once cared for my appearance, I wasn't really that sought after in Elisande's court. There were far more attractive males than I." Said Kel'danath as he went over to his research table. As he worked, Chief couldn't help but wonder if he should speak to Kel'danath about Thalyssra. The woman had spotted him, and Chief needed to know if she was going to be a threat and if he needed to move Kel'danath.

"Kel'danath, as I was making my escape, I was spotted by a woman." Said Chief. Upon hearing that, Kel'danath looked at Chief in worry. "Her name was Thalyssra. Will she be any danger to you?" Upon hearing that, Kel'danath sighed in relief.

"Thank Elune that it was her and not someone else." Said Kel'danath. "No, she won't be of any danger. She was one of the few other arcanists that approved of my research into finding a cure into our addiction. She knew that our addiction and reliance on the Nightwell was a problem for our people, so she approved of my research. Even when my…first test group nearly killed her, she was adamant in having my research continue." Upon hearing that Thalyssra was nearly killed, Chief looked at Kel'danath.

"How did she nearly die?" Asked Chief. Kel'danath actually looked embarrassed at that.

"Well…while she was visiting her favorite garden in Suramar, my test group stumbled onto her along with several other nobles. I injected them with some chemicals in hopes that it would be the cure to their addiction. Unfortunately, all it did was make them go into an enraged state. They broke through what restraints I had and began to rampage in that garden. No one was seriously hurt, thankfully, but one Withered nearly snapped Thalyssra's neck. Fortunately, she always was quick with casting spells." Said Kel'danath. "I thought she would demand for my exile for that, but she came to my defense. ***Sighs*** She always was a rational one, that Thalyssra." Giving a grunt, Chief moved on.

"Moving on, she won't be a threat?" Kel'danath shook his head.

"No, she won't, so long as you didn't kill anyone of course." Seeing Chief shake his head, Kel'danath nodded. "Then as long as you don't kill any Nightborne or threaten the safety of Suramar, then Thalyssra won't make a move on you. I seriously doubt that a barrel of wine will get Elisande's attention anyway."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Sanctum of Order**

* * *

"***sighs mentally* And here come the headaches again."** Thought Thalyssra as stuck-up nobles and arcanists argued back and forth between each other on who did this, why they would do this, and what they would gain from this. Even if she didn't know who did it, Thalyssra would still have a headache as her compatriots would try to blame each other for this event, either as a way to get themselves moved up in the rank of Elisande's court or to just get revenge on one another for one stupid reason or another. As another tirade went on, Thalyssra wondered if she should ask Elisande for an extended leave.

She then remembered that the last arcanist that asked was sent to handle their malfunctioning robots without any know how on how to handle them or treat them, causing her to slam her head in frustration.

* * *

**Chief**

"Somehow I doubt that." Said Chief.

* * *

"Eh, I would doubt it too. Elisande has been getting quite strict as our population grows." Said Kel'danath. "Anyway, going back to my research, I think I have enough Arcwine to sustain myself until I have a cure to the addiction that my people have."

"Are you on the right track?" Asked Chief as he looked at Kel'danath.

"Like I said, I believe so." Said Kel'danath as he looked at the docile Withered in the room. "But I don't have a definite answer. Come back in around two days, and I'll have an answer for you."

"Alright, but first," Chief then tossed a spare commlink he had. It was in case the one in his helmet malfunctioned or broke, but he felt that Kel'danath needed it. "Use this to contact me. If you need any help, ask, and me or one of the people in my group will come to help you." Eyeing the mysterious device in his hands, Kel'danath spoke.

"Will you instruct me how to operate this?" Asked Kel'danath. Nodding at that, Chief then began to instruct him how to use it.

* * *

**Few weeks later**

**IMC base**

* * *

"So, I was thinking on going to this unknown land that the Horde found." Said High Elf Archer as she ate her meal, which was once again those disgusting MREs. The fact that everyone else was eating them find, made High Elf Archer wonder how in the heck could they eat this slope. "From what I've gathered, Garrosh himself in partaking in the expedition there. If we kill him, then we could end this war quickly."

Much as she disliked it, during her two thousand years life, High Elf Archer had been taught how to conduct war and how to become an effective commander. She didn't really like those classes as she wanted to be an adventurer, not a military commander, but she was, more or less, forced to as every other young Elf in her age had to become effective killers should war breaks out between the high elves and any other races in High Elf's world.

"I don't think its that simple, High Elf." Said Courier. "Assassinating him may make him a martyr. From what I gathered; he's considered a hero to the Orcs. Killing him right now without damaging his reputation to the Orcs will just strengthened his cause. Heck killing may have someone even worse than him be in charge. The guy is an Orc supremist, he'll likely have a whole succession lined up in case he dies. I seriously doubt he didn't made plans in case he dies."

High Elf groaned at that, knowing that Courier was probably right. Garrosh was a brute, but not stupid.

"So, I guess its just back to destroying supply lines and taking out individual groups of warriors for us, huh?" Asked High Elf Archer.

"Bah!" Yelled Ikit Claw as he ate a biscuit. "Just let me deploy a new Doomsphere. It will-will make Orc go bye-bye."

When Ikit learned of the mana bomb made by the blood elves, Ikit swore to make his Doomsphere even more destructive so that he can eclipse the destructive power of the blood elves's mana bomb. Only Ikit was worthy of making such a destructive weapon. And so, for the majority of his spare time, Ikit was making an even deadlier Doomsphere, using the inspiration he got from IMC and UNSC weapons. And when he completed it, he was assured that it would by the most devastating weapon ever made.

To make his Doomsphere even sweeter, Ikit discovered that the reason the mana bomb that destroyed Theramore was so destructive was a small item called the Focusing Iris. He didn't know how it worked exactly, but Ikit knew that it was capable of magnifying the power of whatever it was powering. And anything that empowered his Doomsphere to be even more destructive, is good in the Skaven's eyes.

"That'll be even worse. I rather not have the entire Horde gunning for us if we deploy a Doomsphere at them." Said Courier. He didn't know how powerful a Doomsphere was, but since Ikit was determined to outclass the mana bomb that destroyed Theramore, he got the feeling that his Doomsphere will be a disastrous weapon to deploy, especially since the group wanted to remain neutral in the whole Alliance and Horde debacle.

"Yeah, besides, if we deploy it now you won't get the chance to deploy it against something that is actually worth using it on." Said Jack. Since working with the rat, Jack learned how to deal with Ikit and how to use him trick him effectively. All he needed to do was appease to his ego and his want to show off, but not make it too obvious. He got some tips from Courier and it worked out for the most part. In fact, Ikit genuinely liked Jack, seeing him as a good meat shield and person to talk to about his many achievements.

Ikit growled at that before grumbling at wondering who to use it on. Chief, meanwhile, thought on what to do. On one hand, they've been doing fine for now. They were tipping the tides of war against the Horde slightly. Their attacks had forced the Horde to be more careful in their deployment of troops and supplies. But now, they're wising up and sending their supplies with larger guards group and their troops deployments were almost always two platoons or higher in strength. They couldn't do much without someone escaping and informing a Horde leader about what they saw.

And that would result in them trying to find them, which will cause them to eventually find out where they're hiding and send forces to eliminate them, forcing them to abandon their base, something Chief was unwilling to do as their base's technology can't fall to the Horde. Even though Chief doubted their mechanical prowess, just having the fighters and vehicles stationed here will give the Horde a significant advantage in their fight against the Alliance. And that wasn't even counting the nuclear missiles the Dawn still had in its arsenal.

So, they had to put off attacking caravans and troop formations and do something different that could also help the Alliance in winning this war.

He could convince Suramar to help the Alliance but he doubted that would even come to pass. From what Kel'danath had told him about Suramar's leader, she wasn't the type to sacrifice her people's lives for those that she deemed inferior, which she'll likely do to the races of the Alliance.

Besides, even if he assassinated her and replaced her with a leader that was willing to help the Alliance, he doubted the populace will help out strangers without something to incentive them to do so. Chief learned a great deal in his war with the Covenant and that was people needed incentives to fight. In his case, it was the survival of humanity. But for these Nightborne, he couldn't find one to convince them to help, especially since the Broken Isles is far away from the conflict between Alliance and Horde.

He continued to think about what to do when High Elf Archer placed a hand on his shoulder. Looking over at the elf, he wondered what she wanted.

"How about we stop fighting for awhile and just explore the world of Azeroth?" Suggested High Elf. "We've been fighting nonstop for months, I think its time for us to take a break and explore this world that we're in. Its quite a beautiful world to look at and explore."

"We can't. If we take a break, more people will die from our neglect." Said Chief as he shook his head. High Elf sighed at that, somehow knowing that would be his answer.

"Come on, Chief." Said Jack, understanding what Chief was getting at, but seriously, they needed a break. "I get where you're coming from, but we need to take a break now and then. I know you were never given much breaks as a spartan, but come on, there's a time to fight and a time to just relax. Constant fighting is no good for the mind."

"I disagree." Said Ikit as he finished his food. "I fight-fight all the time and look at me." Everyone then looked at the crazy rat, who smiled a crazed smile. Shaking his head, Courier looked at Master Chief.

"We're not asking you to stop fighting, we're just asking you to just take a day off to relax. Enjoy the breeze of this place or enjoy some good food from some expensive restaurant in some port city nearby. Think of it as a way to remind yourself why you're fighting. After all, its good to have a constant reminder on why you fight, right?" Chief could get behind that. It always was good to have a constant reminder to remind a soldier why they're fighting, especially if they're in the battlefield nearly every day of the week when not in cryostasis. But for Chief, his reminder of why he fought was in the marines and ordinary humans he fought with.

They all had families and friends that they fought to protect or avenge. When he saw them die under his command or comfort each other when they lost a squad mate or loved one, it encouraged John to do better. To make sure it never happened again. It always happened again, sure, but to Chief, it was just a reminder to him that he needed to do better the next time.

Besides, a Spartan II like him was never on break, their extraordinary skills and equipment meant they could never be taken off the field. There were simply too Spartans and too many requests for them to ever allow them to take a shore leave. If a Spartan was taking a shore leave, they're not saving people from overzealous aliens, killing high value targets, or destroying entire warships that could be the turning point in a space battle. No, to Chief's eyes, he couldn't take a break, not when a war was going on.

He would have been adamant in not taking a break, if Cortana hadn't stepped.

"John, they're right." Said Cortana as she appeared in his HUD, looking worried. "Don't push yourself too hard, John. The war that you're fighting isn't as destructive as the one you fought in before. You don't need to push yourself to the extreme to win it. A little shore leave wouldn't hurt anyone, I promise you. It would mean a lot to the team if you partake in their vacation. Besides, you might gain some actionable intel if you pick a city home to a military leader of the Alliance. If not for that, do it for me." Upon hearing that, Chief sighed before looking at everyone.

"Alright. One more week of raiding and picking off wandering Horde patrols and then we'll go on vacation. It'll give you time to pick one out." Said Chief. Upon hearing that, High Elf let out a small whoop before going over to another room in the base, which they called Echo base, so that she could talk to Cortana on potential vacation spots.

Ikit shrugged at that, finding that he could, at the very least, use the vacation as a way to find the secrets of Azeroth.

Courier and Jack smiled, happy that Chief was willing to partake in basic human needs and were willing to help him do so.

As everyone began to plan vacation plans, Chief wondered on what the hell he gotten himself into.

* * *

**Two weeks later**

**Dalaran**

* * *

"Oh yeah, people welcome to Dalaran!" Yelled High Elf Archer as the group, in Alliance clothing that they acquired from High Elf, who shopped for them via using some gold that she got from one of the destroyed Horde camps they ransacked sometime ago, arrived in the flying magic city that was home to the Kirin Tor via a portal available to citizens of either Horde or Alliance. The group, of course, took a portal for Alliance people only as the Horde, at the moment, were either arresting or killing, in the Orc's case, any humans that tried to use their portals to Dalaran.

Courier shook his head as he watched the elf bounced in excitement as she looked around at the flying city, liking what she saw in the architect of the Kirin Tor. Courier, while impressed, found he much preferred the good old streets of New Vegas. Well, the non-irradiated parts anyway. Call it home sickness, but he found the charm of New Vegas better that Dalaran.

Jack, however, was grumbling as he held the crate that Ikit was it. The rat, to his displeasure, was forced into the crate if he wanted to come as his species was never seen before in Azeroth. And if he was spotted in Dalaran right now, it would cause so much unwanted attention right now that it would prevent the group from doing what they were supposed to be doing here in the first time. Relaxing.

As Ikit wanted to see Dalaran, mostly because he wanted to steal the secrets of Dalaran, after hearing about it from High Elf Archer, who spoke to some Alliance citizens about it during her many escapades into either Horde or Alliance cities, he had no choice but to agree.

To Jack's slight dismay, he was the one chosen to carry the box that held Ikit as Chief was forced not to carry it as he was supposed to relax and that was hard to do when he was carrying a large crate with a live giant rat in it. So, for most of the trip, Jack was forced to carry Ikit.

Chief, meanwhile, was wondering what to do. He never had any normal hobbies. What free time he had back in the Human Covenant war was spent on practicing tactics and training with his fellow spartans. He never really indulged in civilian antics. In fact, he couldn't understand some of the antics civilians did, even during a war.

As a result, Courier, along with enjoying the vacation himself, was tasked with helping Chief with how to enjoy himself with Cortana helping out via a commlink in Chief's ear.

"I hope you'll enjoy yourself Chief." Said Cortana with a slight tease in her voice. Chief grunted at that before taking a step out of the portal chamber and into the city of Dalaran, the group following shortly after. As High Elf Archer was enjoying the view of Dalaran's many fine buildings, Chief suddenly got a feeling that something bad was going to go down. Something really bad.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**R reyes- If you want to write that type of story, its up to you. You just have to make your own flair to it so as to differentiate it from other stories that have a similar plot to that.**

**11/20/2019- Rewritten due to criticism.**

**Dalaran**

"This place is amazing." Said High Elf Archer as she gazed at one of the towers in Dalaran, impressed with the architect of the place. The smooth exterior and polished surface of the city reminded greatly the elf of her own home, causing her to experience a small case of home sickness. That was, however, quickly brushed aside as the tiny elf found something else to look at.

"Jesus. You are easily excited." Said Courier as he looked around, trying to see why High Elf Archer was impressed so easily with the architect of Dalaran. Sure, its all pretty, the Courier knew long ago that appearances can be deceiving.

"You're telling me." Said Jack as he sat on a bench with the crate that Ikit was in. "Your quite cheerful at seeing the buildings of this place, High Elf."

"Of course, I am." Said High Elf as she looked at her compatriots. "Why wouldn't I be? This place is beautiful. Its people are nice. And the place is filled with wonderous things that should be seen. Why aren't you guys excited?"

"I miss the grit of my home." Said Courier.

"And I kind of stay in the city portions of Harmony, the place, I guess, you can call my home." Said Jack, remembering his apartment in Harmony, the home world of his mentor.

"And I-I like under-cities of Skaven under-empire more than this burrow-city." Said Ikit, whispering so that no citizen of Dalaran can hear him. Rolling her eyes, High Elf Archer sighed before looking at her team with a disappointed stare.

"So, what do you guys want to do for fun?" Asked High Elf Archer, disappointed they aren't as having as much fun as she was having.

"How about exploring some restaurants here. I'm starving." Said Courier, holding his rumbling stomach. High Elf scoffed at that.

"Alright." Said High Elf, disappointed that they were only interested in food right now. She then looked at Chief, who was looking at the sky. "So, what's our destination, Chief?" Chief then looked at High Elf Archer.

"Let's try to find a restaurant in one of the districts that have both Blood Elves and other citizens of Dalaran." Said Chief, surprising everyone as that would narrow their search considerably. During their brief time on Dalaran, they learned quite a few things about the city.

For one, the city was divided into two portions. The portion that contained the main body of the Dalaran and citizenship, most of which were from the Alliance. And the smaller portion that contained citizens and mages from the Blood Elves, making them technically citizens of the Horde, despite the fact that the Blood Elves were in Dalaran before the Blood Elves were inducted into Thrall's Horde.

Despite there being a divide between Horde and Alliance sections of the city, there are portions that were open to both Sunreavers, Blood Elf citizens and mages, and the other populace, either out of simply economic reasons or because the council of six ordered this to be done, so as to lessen the divide between citizens of Dalaran, who were technically neutral to the ongoing war between the Alliance and Horde, despite many having lineage to either superpower.

These portions were small, but they were tightknit and fights between people who were patriotic to either Horde or Alliance were minimal at worst.

"How come?" Asked High Elf Archer. Although happy that they weren't going to go to a segregated district, she was surprised it was Chief that suggested it, as he didn't seem the guy to care that much of where he ate or about politics.

"I want to see if its true." Said Chief. "That these districts are truly what the citizens make them out to be. If peace can be obtained despite atrocities being done against the Horde or Alliance by the other." The others nodded at that, understanding his want to see it.

Although they didn't get much of the Human Covenant war, what they did get was that at the end of the war, an alliance of necessity was made between Chief's humanity with some of the aliens that they fought for decades.

Although Chief doubted that peace can be obtained, Cortana was optimistic that a ceasefire was ongoing between their humanity and the Sangheili, mostly because both sides of lost too much to afford another war between both of them.

For Chief, to see both people, who came from both Horde and Alliance, work together for a better future or just live in peace, may give him hope that it could happen between his humanity and the Sangheili and their client races.

"Hey, if that's what you want, big guy, you got it." Said Courier, completely getting Chief's orders. Jack also nodded as he patted Ikit's claw, who tapped it once, indicating that he was in as well. He honestly didn't care, he just wanted good food. Or any food really. Skaven weren't picky eaters, after all.

High Elf Archer smiled, happy that Chief made that call.

"Alright, let's get someone to direct us to one of these districts. With luck, they'll point us to a good restaurant in the process." Said High Elf before leaving to go ask someone for directions.

"Hey! Don't bankrupt us by asking for a high-end restaurant!" Demanded Courier, causing Jack to smile. He was about to respond, when something caught his eye.

Looking at the right, he saw, to his utmost surprise, Vereesa Windrunner, coming into his view. Getting Chief's and Courier's attention, he pointed at the high elf.

"What's she doing here?" Asked Courier, curious why the leader of the Silver Covenant was here in a regular district, instead of the district that belonged to the Silver Covenant or the one that was for government business only. Jack was about to suggest that she was visiting someone, when Chief raised his hand. Narrowing his eyes, he saw that Vereesa was close to tears.

Upon seeing the sorry state the woman was in, Chief guessed what the problem was, having seen it with some soldiers when they lost loved ones and they want to continue grieving for them.

"She's going to visit a grave." Said Chief, causing Courier and Jack to look at him. He then pointed at Vereesa, particularly her eyes. Upon looking at where Chief was pointing, the two could understand what was going on.

"Damn, I think she still misses her husband." Said Courier, remembering the story from High Elf Archer. Although she didn't get much on Vereesa, she did know that her husband, a mage called Ronin, was killed during the battle of Theramore, apparently in order to save Jaina, if the rumor mill was to be believed.

Both Courier and Chief could understand and sympathize with the elf, knowing that grief can vary between person to person, Courier more so than Chief as he's seen it many times during his time in the Mojave. Jack, however, was a bit different.

Seeing the sad woman, sparked something in Jack. Although he could sympathize with the elf, he wanted to comfort her and hold her, something that neither Chief nor Courier would offer.

Sighing, he looked at Chief.

"With permission, sir, can I go and speak to Vereesa Windrunner?" Asked Jack, ready to be denied. Upon hearing that request, Chief turned his head slightly at Jack.

"May I ask why?" Asked Chief while Courier looked at Jack in surprise.

"I just want to make her feel better, sir." Said Jack, not giving a good reason to Chief. Fortunately for him, Chief didn't mind him doing it at this day. This was suppose to be a day off and what Jack wanted to do in it was his business and his business alone, so long as it didn't affect the entire group, of course.

"Very well. Cortana will guide you back to us through your commlink." Said Chief before tilting his head at Vereesa Windrunner, who had just turned the corner, slipping out of their view. "Better hurry."

Stunned at Chief's acceptance of his request, Jack nonetheless thanked Chief before leaving to go find Vereesa.

"That was a good thing you did, Chief." Said Courier, looking at Chief after Jack left them. "Didn't think you do that."

"If Jack gets himself in trouble, Cortana will inform us and we'll get him out of it." Said Chief simply before looking at the returning High Elf Archer. "We're going now. You carry Ikit."

"God damnit." Said Courier before picking up the crate and leaving with High Elf Archer, who was leading them to a restaurant.

**Meanwhile**

**Few minutes later**

**Vereesa**

"**This never gets easier."** Thought Vereesa as she went to the grave that had Rhonin's name on it along with the names of the many Dalaran soldiers that died in the fighting in Theramore.

It wasn't anything grand. It was just a stone slab with the names of those that died in Theramore.

The memorial was the idea of Jaina, who wanted people to remember the sacrifices of the brave soldiers of Dalaran that gave their lives for the Alliance. As the new leader of the Kirin Tor, no body objected to her idea. Not that any argued against her idea. Even Aethas Sunreaver, the leader of the Sunreavers, and a member of the council of six, supported her idea, believing it was right to memorialize the dead that gave their lives for the innocent.

To many, it was a symbol that Dalaran will always fight for the right side in a war. But to Vereesa, it was a symbol of what she lost in that battle.

To her utmost horror, her husband, Rhonin was killed by the mana bomb that destroyed Theramore. Her brave husband, according to Jaina, had sacrificed his life to vainly stop the mana bomb while also saving Jaina by putting her through a portal.

Jaina told her how his last thoughts were about her and their two little boys and how she regretted that it was Rhonin that died for Theramore instead of her. She also stated that she'll make the Horde pay for Rhonin's death. And that she won't rest until Garrosh pays for his crimes in blood.

Vereesa, emotional from Rhonin's death, held Jaina as the two mourned over what was lost that day. Although, the blood elves were still allowed in Dalaran, Vereesa kept them as far away from her as possible.

Despite Aethas claiming that the Sunreavers are neutral in this war and his support of both Rhonin's and Jaina's decisions, it was still the blood elves' that created the mana bomb that killed her husband.

So, for the betterment of both Dalaran and herself, she kept her contact with Blood elves as minimal as possible.

She knew that it was ridiculous, to hate the Blood Elves that were in Dalaran, but she couldn't stop but hate all Blood Elves, seeing them all as murders for the creation of the mana bomb. If they didn't create the mana bomb, Rhonin will still be alive today and she wouldn't be left a widow, forced to take care of her children by herself, who now will never have their father watching them grew up to be proud, young adults.

Just thinking of that made Vereesa tear up. The tears were free flowing as memories of Rhonin came back, including a promise he made with her before the battle of Theramore. That he'll be careful and live. A promise he, unfortunately, had to break.

She was so caught up in emotions that she almost didn't hear someone cough behind her.

Upon hearing the cough, she wiped her eyes fiercely, not wanting to appear weak as she was the leader of the Silver Covenant, before turning around to face the person that coughed.

To her surprise and hidden relief, it wasn't a citizen of Dalaran. Even better, it wasn't a blood elf. Judging by his clothing, he was a human male from the Alliance, likely a tourist, here to explore Dalaran and its rich lore.

He was also quite handsome, if a bit rugged, something human males always seemed to have.

Perhaps a bit scandalous, Vereesa and her sisters always had an attraction to human males. She believed it was because, unlike elf males, human ones had this sort of aura around them that attracted them. Perhaps it was the way they were structured or perhaps it was because, despite how easy it was to corrupt and manipulate them, they were some of the kindest people that the Windrunner sisters have ever met in their lives. Even Sylvanas, back when she was alive, had a begrudging respect for skilled human warriors, especially ones' skilled with a boy. In fact, she even personally vouched for a human called Nathanos to be inducted in Silvermoon's rangers back when she was alive. The rumor mill believed this was because he was her lover, but Vereesa knew her sister too well to believe that was the only reason.

But moving away from memories that would eventually surface if she continued, Vereesa looked at the human male before her. If she wasn't a recent widowed and fell in love with Rhonin, she wouldn't mind courting this male. But alas, she was too in love with Rhonin and nothing will change that.

"What do you want?" Demanded Vereesa, crossing her arms over her bust. The human male just rubbed his neck before speaking.

My group and I spotted you in tears." Explained the human male. "While they left to find somewhere to eat, I wanted to make sure you were okay." Touched by that response, Vereesa spoke.

"Well, I thank you for your compassion, but I don't need any help from a stranger." Said Vereesa. That caused the stranger to nod his head in agreement.

"I know. Call it naivety, but I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You never know when you need a shoulder to lean on." Said the stranger. His passion and care for others reminded Vereesa of Rhonin and how he helped others in need, not caring if they were Horde or Alliance. In Rhonin's eyes, a life was a life and the fractions needed to understand that. Shaking her mind of Rhonin before bad memories surface, Vereesa spoke.

"I thank your care for others, even strangers. Its rare to find that trait in humans." Said Vereesa. "In any other day, I would take up on your offer, but I want to be left alone. I…," She then looked at the grave. ", need to do this alone." The stranger, however, continued to stay, much to Vereesa's growing annoyance.

"I know, you lost your husband in the battle. The previous leader of the Kirin Tor, correct?" Said the stranger. Although a part of Vereesa screamed at her to tell him to go away, another part found talking to him helped.

"Yes. My…Rhonin died in the battle of Theramore, trying to stop the mana bomb from…" She couldn't say anymore when she suddenly remembered the last time she saw Rhonin. Not standing in anymore, Vereesa broke down in tears, finding that she didn't have the strength to hold back her tears.

As she continued to let out her tears, the stranger shuffled uncomfortably, obviously wanting to hold her but held back out of respect for her, something that both annoyed and touched Vereesa.

Once she was done, Vereesa wiped her remaining tears with her sleeve and addressed the stranger.

"I thank you for not holding me. I would have kicked you in your genitals if you tried that on me." Said Vereesa. To her surprise, the stranger laughed a bit at that.

"That's part of the reason why I didn't do that." Said the stranger, letting out a small smile that Vereesa found charming. "That and the fact I know that it wouldn't be right to hug a complete stranger that I know nothing off, despite what those fairy tale books say." That actually caused Vereesa to twitch her lips in amusement.

"I suppose." Said Vereesa. "Thank you again. Your presence was…refreshing." With that Vereesa left the stranger alone, needing to go back to the Silver Covenant's headquarters to do the more boring part of her job. As she left, the stranger called out.

"The names Jack Cooper, by the way." Said the stranger. Turning around at the declaration, Vereesa saw the man give a big smile and a small two finger salute to her.

Feeling her heart flutter a bit at that, Vereesa scolded herself for acting like a young elf maiden before giving out her name.

"Vereesa Windrunner." Said Vereesa before taking off, knowing that it was rude, but she needed to get away from him before he could see the blush that was forming from her cheeks.

Once she was alone, she touched her cheeks. To her shame, she felt them burning up slightly at the sight of that human, Jack, giving her that smile and salute.

"**I've only been a widow for a few months and I'm already falling for another man!?"** Thought Vereesa in shame as she wondered what Alleria and Sylvanas would say when they heard this. And her entire family for that matter. **"Damnit. I need to distance myself from that man. Keep him away from me. It's the only way to be faithful to Rhonin."** With that, Vereesa quickly made her way to the Silver Covenenat's headquarters.

As she was making her way, she was stopped suddenly by two Silver Covenant rangers.

"What is the meaning of this?" Asked Vereesa, feeling that something was amiss. One, a high elf male, sighed before telling her some dire news. Upon hearing it, Vereesa clenched her fists in anger.

**Few minutes later**

**Restaurant**

"You gave me this shit?" Asked Jack as he spat out the meat he just ate in disgust. Upon doing so, he drank down his glass of water in one go so that he could get rid of the taste of the meat.

"Hey, it's not our fault that you left to go comfort a widow, thus making us guess what you want." Said Courier as he ate his food, finding it perfectly fine. Although, considering he used to eat two-hundred-year-old food back in the Mojave and found the stuff good, he wasn't a good critique of food.

"C'mon, its not that bad." Said High Elf Archer as she ate some cuisine made for elves, if the lack of meat and small portions she got were any indication. Chief simply passed his food to Jack.

"Have mine." Said Chief before grabbing Jack's food. Upon eating it, Chief grunted at its taste before eating, finding the food tolerable.

"Thanks." Said Jack before eating Chief's food, finding it better than his own. Ikit, still in his box, just snickered as he ate his food, which was passed by the others when no one was looking. Although he was eating in the dark, Ikit was fine with this as Skaven were able to see in the dark.

"So, how was comforting Vereesa, by the way?" Asked Courier as he finished his food.

"Fine." Said Jack as he scratched his head. "She still misses her husband. Quite badly. She was literally in tears."

"Can't really blame her.' Said High Elf Archer, looking down at her food, feeling pity for Vereesa. "Lost her husband in a pointless war and has to live with the same people that made the weapon that killed her husband."

"The Blood Elves in Dalaran had nothing to do with that mana bomb." Said Chief. "They're completely neutral in this affair."

"I know that." Said High Elf. "I'm just saying it must be hard for her to be around them. Elves can carry quite a grudge against others, believe me."

"Really?" Asked Jack. "I thought that was a Dwarf thing." High Elf Archer laughed a bit at that.

"It is, but we Elves also carry grudges. Its just that the Dwarves are better known for that than us." Said High Elf.

"It true-true." Said Ikit through his commlink. "Beard-things and elf-things carry long grudges. Lasts for many-many years." Taking their word for it, the others went back to eating their food in peace. As they ate, Courier looked around, seeing Horde and Alliance citizens just eating, conversing with each other, or just enjoying each other's company.

To Courier, and everyone else, it was a sign that the two factions can work together. That they can put aside their differences and work toward a common goal of simply existing.

It reminded him of the times he helped several groups of people into cooperating with each other, despite blood being shed between them.

He managed to unite the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, a militant group of survivors that hoarded all military technology for themselves, with the NCR. Despite blood being shed between both sides at Helios one, a solar power facility/laser satellite weapon facility, he managed to have each other cooperate into a tense, but cooperative peace.

He even managed to get the Boomers, and Kings to unite with the NCR peacefully, despite some of their people hating the NCR with a burning passion, either for the NCR's greed or lack of care for citizens of the Mojave until they became citizens of the NCR, which he could understand. The NCR made some questionable decisions that made the Courier question the faction he was fighting for.

But like Cass, a companion of his, said, the NCR had some shaping up to do. And with a new president, Courier hoped that the shaping up can happen now and not later as the NCR desperately needed it at the moment, having stretched their forces thin with the campaign in the Mojave. Any further expansion without reprieve is just begging for the military to fall apart.

But enough of that, right now the Courier was focused on the Horde and the Alliance and how they could work together. If they can just let go of their hatred between each other, they could accomplish much together. If they don't, they'll just be sending all their soldiers and citizens in a perpetual cycle of death and hatred.

As he was wondering how they could help accomplish this, the restaurant they were in was suddenly barged in by a bunch of elves, High Elves by the looks of it, and Alliance soldiers, Stormwind troops. Before anyone could protest, a man in shiny white armor began to speak.

"By the order of Jaina Proudmoore, all Horde citizens are to be expunged from Dalaran effective immediately." Said the man before drawing out his sword. "You are given only one chance to surrender in peace. Any resistance will be meet with lethal force." As people looked at the knight in disbelief, one man, a human, got up from his seat and looked at the soldier.

"You can't do that!" Yelled the man. "They're citizens of Dalaran too! This is their home! You can't just force them out of their homes!"

"They can if they helped the Horde with escaping an item that could bring the end of the Alliance." Said the soldier as he put his sword at the man's chest. He then looked at his fellow soldiers. "Round all the Blood Elves up! Take them to the Violet hold now! Even the children!" With that, the other soldiers began to round up the Blood Elves. The first few protested at this, saying that Dalaran was their home as well, but after they got beat down by sword pummels, the rest complied.

As this was happening, the human that stood up glared at the knight.

"Is this what the Alliance does!?" Demanded the man. "We're suppose to be the paragon of virtue and justice, but from what where I'm standing at, we're no better than the people that destroyed Theramore!" Upon hearing that, the soldier holding him at sword point glared.

"How dare you!" Yelled the soldier. "The Horde destroyed Theramore completely, killing entire families! What they did at Theramore is much worse than what we're doing at Dalaran!"

"Then you do know how wrong this is!" Yelled the man. "Don't you see this is wrong! That you're punishing people for the wrongs of others! Don't you have a conscious! Would you do the same if this was an ally of the Alliance!" Upon hearing that the soldier looked away, for what no one knew. After a few seconds, the soldier looked back at the man before raising his sword and striking the man with the pummel of his sword, knocking him out.

"Arrest this man for treason!" Yelled the soldier before taking off. Another soldier then grabbed the unconscious man and dragged him out. With that, the rounding up of Blood elves began. As they were being dragged or forced out of the restaurant, team Sigma was watching this with growing rage.

"What the hell is wrong is these people!" Demanded High Elf as she saw some soldiers drag off a young Blood Elf couple. When she saw them drag a child off, she lost it. She was about to give the high elves and the Stormwind soldiers a piece of her mind when Chief grabbed her collar.

"Don't." Said Chief, as he held her in place. "This isn't the place for it." Though he also was enraged at what was happening, Chief knew that this wasn't the time for a fight. They didn't have any weapons on them, nor their armor to hide their identities. If they fought now, their faces will be known to all of the Alliance and they'll likely be hunted down as a result.

And since the Alliance was the only faction they can reliably purchase supplies from without a need for a disguise, they couldn't afford to have a bounty on them.

"We'll talk about this later. I promise." Said Chief, knowing that this needed to be addressed.

High Elf, wanted to protest, but the glare from Chief stopped her. Grounding her teeth together, High Elf couldn't do much but watch as people were being dragged off.

**Few hours later**

**Torrington Base**

"I can't believe we just let those soldiers drag off people!" Yelled High Elf Archer, now in her normal attire, paced around the mission control room of the IMC base they commandeered, now known to them as Torrington base, for themselves. "We should have done something! Anything to stop them!"

"It would have been pointless.' Said Chief. "We would have gotten arrested ourselves. We didn't have our equipment with us nor any weapons. Besides, even if we did beat those guards, what makes you think we could escape? They had the portal rooms all guarded up with soldiers." What Chief said was true, as they walked to a portal chamber out of Dalaran, they saw at least two squads of soldiers defending the portal room they went too. Then there was the fact, that they hear that Jaina herself was on a rampage herself in the Horde only districts, sending ice storms against anyone that went against her.

"I know it enrages you." Said Chief, trying to appease High Elf. "But, no matter what we do, we would have just been targets ourselves."

"He's right." Said Jack, knowing that Chief was right. "No matter what we did, we would have just ended up in prison like everyone else."

Courier nodded at that. Despite feeling anger at the Alliance for what they did, he knew that fighting then and there would have just been stupid. They needed to be smart. The only question is, are they going to help those people?

That question was answered by High Elf.

"Alright, fine!" Yelled High Elf, glaring at Chief. "So what are we going to do to save those people! We can't just let them suffer at the hands of Jaina and the Alliance!" Everyone then looked at Chief, who looked at the table in the middle of the room. Placing his hands on the table, Chief sighed before thinking on what to do.

If they were human citizens of the UNSC, you could bet your ass that Chief would have done a mission that would have had him rescue them. But they weren't. They were citizens of an, technically, alien species and he had no obligation to rescue them other than basic human decency.

Plus, saving those people, the Sunreavers, would make them an enemy of the Alliance. That meant they had to face the combined might of the Night Elves, Stormwind, the Dwarves, and all the other factions that belong to the Alliance. Now that Dalaran, according to the soldiers they passed as they made their way off of the floating city, was an Alliance city, that meant an attack on Dalaran meant it was an attack against the entirety of the Alliance. And that was something that Chief didn't want. A super power going up against just the eight of them. Not good odds.

That and Chief was uncomfortable with killing human combatants, having fought against aliens so long and fighting with human soldiers left John with an uneasy disposition in fighting against humans. And in this situation, he definitely didn't want to fight human soldiers just because one of his teammates wanted to be stupid and save the same people that were responsible for dropping a bomb on a city that killed everyone.

But then again, the others would probably save those people anyway. High Elf was just too naïve to think of the consequences of her morally good actions. Courier would do it, despite the consequences and same with Jack. Only Ikit would agree to his orders and that would only because he cared about his life and not his orders. Sighing, he talked to Cortana.

"What are the chances that Courier, Jack, and High Elf would go against my orders if I said we're not going to save those people?" Asked Chief, knowing that the probability was high.

"Over ninety percent, John." Said Cortana. "No matter what argument you can give, they'll just steal a gunship and go and save those people, despite the consequences. They're too morally good and free-spirited to listen to you, John." Chief sighed at that. After ten seconds, he looked at everyone.

"Alright, you all willing to save those people? Or to take Dalaran knowledge?" Upon hearing that, everyone smiled at that, even Ikit, but mostly because of the taking of Dalaran knowledge.

"Then, here's the plan."

**Night**

**High Elf**

**Some distance from Quel'Thalas**

"**Why do I get the dangerous assignments?" **Thought High Elf Archer as she walked up the road to the city of Quel'Thalas, the city of the Blood Elves. **"Let's hope they're regiment lord is in a good mood cause this plan hinges on his cooperation."** Taking a deep breath, she resumed her walk to the Quel'Thalas.

After some minutes, an arrow suddenly landed in front of her. Stopping when the arrow hit, High Elf Archer stood still as several Elven rangers came out of the forest all around her, their bows aimed at her, arrows at the ready.

Raising her hands in surrender, High Elf watched as one of the rangers came up to her, a female.

"What is your business here?" Demanded the Blood elf ranger, narrowing her eyes in hatred and suspicion. High Elf Archer took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm here to speak with your regent lord. I have news that he wants." Upon hearing that, the rangers scoffed or laughed at her.

"Why would we bother our regent lord with a freak like you?" Asked the lead ranger, looking at High Elf's light green hair and eyes. Twitching her ears in anger at that remark, High Elf gave the ranger her reason.

"Then I guess you'll be the ranger responsible for the failed mission to save the Sunreavers from the Alliance." Said High Elf with a snarky tone. Just as she suspected, the lead ranger widened her eyes in shock at that.

"What do you mean?" Demanded the ranger after recovering from her shock. Smirking inwardly, High Elf said that she'll only speak to the regent lord about it. And that they should speak now or else the remaining Sunreavers at Dalaran will die because of the failed cooperation of the Blood Elves and her group.

**Meanwhile**

**Dalaran**

**Vereesa**

"The council of six needs to go to Stormwind to finalize our induction into the Alliance's ranks." Said Jaina as she spoke to Vereesa, who was in Jaina's private chambers at the request of Jaina. "I'm entrusting the safety of Dalaran to you, Vereesa. I trust that you won't let me down." Vereesa simply bowed at that.

"I won't." Said Vereesa. "Dalaran will be in good hands. I promise you." Jaina smiled at that before placing a hand at the left shoulder of Vereesa.

"I know. I was simply asking because of the Sunreavers. I trust that you can handle them and any dissident citizens." Said Jaina.

Vereesa nodded at that. Despite the expungement of the Sunreavers from Dalaran going relatively smoothly, there were dissident among their populace, particularly from those that come from districts that allowed both Alliance and Horde citizens in them. Already, both Jaina and Vereesa received half a dozen letters from disgruntled citizens about what happened.

Although Jaina didn't care, finding them to be from naïve fools, Vereesa could somewhat get it.

It was a sudden and abrupt change that was forced by the people of Dalaran. In time, after the facts were confirmed, the people of Dalaran would understand and agree with the decision of the council of six. Well, actually just Jaina, who ordered the expungement of the Sunreavers on her own authority, something that didn't sit well with the rest of the council.

What was happening now, were just people dissatisfied with the change or were confused, wanting clarification on what was going on.

Despite that though and her finding joy in the orders of Jaina, a tiny portion of Vereesa's mind disagreed with what Jaina ordered. Despite her hatred of the Horde and Blood Elves, she couldn't help but feel what they did was wrong. When Jaina ordered the expungement the Sunreavers from Dalaran, she meant every single one of them, including elderly and children.

And, despite her Silver Covenant following their orders to the letter, that small part of her felt that they could have done a lot better with the situation with the Sunreavers.

Still, what's done is done and she needed to live with her decision. And right now, she needed to handle the city of Dalaran while the council of six were away. Biding Jaina farewell, Vereesa left her chambers, eager to get back to her own home so she could spend time with her sons.

After a few minutes, she was halfway to her home when a Silver Covenant ranger ran up to her.

"Lady Windrunner, I apologize for this, but there's a protest being held near the Violet hold." Said the ranger. Upon hearing that, Vereesa sighed at that.

"I'll be there." Said Vereesa, disappointed that she was kept from her children again. With that, Vereesa left with the ranger to the violet hold.

Unknown to either of them, a certain rat was giggling to himself as he made his way to Vereesa's estate, eager to acquire whatever Silver Covenant secrets he could get while also getting what he wanted from the ranger's estate.

While he did that, a man in body armor was at the outskirts of the city. After making sure that no one would be hurt, he planted several bricks of plastic explosives on a bunch of unimportant places, like a wall or a lamp, high enough that no one could reach them without magic. After placing his explosives, he went to a tower, so as to make this more believable.

As he did that, two men were knocking out guards in the Violet hold. Chocking a Silver Covenant ranger into submission, Chief looked at Courier who was choking his own ranger.

Once that was done, the two looked at each other.

"Just so you know, we're going to be using a lot of ammo if we get caught and if High Elf doesn't get the regent lord to help out.' Said Courier as Chief brought out his silenced battle rifle.

"I know." Said Chief as he checked his weapon. "That's why the dropships are on standby."

"***Sighs* **Let's hope we don't need them." Said Courier before following Chief to wherever the Sunreavers were in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Destins- He always was smart. He's no Doom Slayer or Space marine. He's more like a Mandalorian that's up against a Jedi. The Mandalorian will fight the Jedi, but he'll be smart and fight in a scenario that favors him if he knows what's good for him.**

**11/4/2019- Rewritten scene between Master Chief and Vereesa.**

**11/20/2019- Rewritten due to criticism.**

**Quel'Thalas**

"**Okay, just stay calm and remember what you have to say." **Thought High Elf Archer as she waited for the Blood Elves' regent lord comes and speaks to her about Team Sigma's plan to rescue his people. Their primary plan depended on his cooperation. If they couldn't get his help, then they could only rescue a few dozen from Dalaran and they have to force them to stay in Torrington, something that High Elf and everyone else, aside from Ikit, would like.

Praying that she can convince the regent lord, she almost didn't see him when he came inside the room she was forced into.

He was quite a handsome elf, if High Elf Archer could be a judge. Aside from an eyepatch that barely covered a scar that went over his left eye, mostly because it was so long, he was quite a looker. With attractive green eyes and blond hair.

But she wasn't here to get a man, she was here to convince the man to help her team out.

The regent lord, Lor'themar Theron, walked up to her, flanked by two guards and another elf in mage armor.

One guard had the armor of a Blood elf ranger, but was more silvery than the others and more elaborate, likely signifying he was an important figure. The other guard wore a mage outfit, showing that he was skilled in magic. What magic it was, High Elf didn't know. The last elf was Aethas Sunreaver, the former council member for the Kirin Tor. The fact that he was here, made High Elf wonder if the Horde conducted a rescue mission for the Sunreavers. If they did, the plan of team Sigma was in jeopardy. Keeping calm, High Elf looked at Lor'themar as he examined her.

Eyeing the young elf with curiosity, Lor'themar spoke.

"I hear that you have a plan to save my people from the clutches of the Alliance." Said Lor'themar, suspicion in his voice. High Elf gulped before speaking.

"I do, but it requires your cooperation if it's going to succeed." Said High Elf, getting up from her seat and starring up at the tall elf before her. Lor'themar raised an eyebrow at that, intrigued, but also suspicious.

"And why would you help the Sin'dorei? Pardon my skepticism, but I have no knowledge on you or your intentions. For all I know this is a trap set by the Alliance to invade Quel'Thalas." Said Lor'themar. High Elf Archer bit her lip at that before speaking up.

"I want to help because I saw what happened in Dalaran. I saw how the Silver Covenant unjustly took your people to prison. Maybe some of them had something to do with whatever the Alliance accuses them of doing, but that doesn't justify rounding them all up and imprisoning them. I want to rectify that. And so, do my friends and allies. We want to fix the wrong done to your people." Said High Elf before looking up at Lor'themar, who was silently allowing her to continue. "But to do that, we need your help. We just don't have the numbers to get everyone safely out of Dalaran. So, the way I see it, you have a lot to gain by helping us."

Lor'themar raised an eyebrow at that.

"And I suppose you want something in return for this endeavor?" Asked Lor'themar, finding this deal too sweet for the Blood elves and not for this elf and her group.

"Yeah, but it's not something ridiculous or something that you won't agree too. Trust me. We're not stupid." Said High Elf Archer, looking at Lor'themar with a stoic glance. Respecting her stance and unwillingness to show emotions, Lor'themar looked at the elves he brought with him. Upon seeing them all nod, he looked at High Elf Archer.

"Give us a minute." Said Lor'themar before leaving the room with everyone else. Once they left, High Elf prayed that she managed to convince Lor'themar.

Her friends were in danger if she didn't.

**Lor'themar**

"Well, what do you three propose we do?" Asked Lor'themar as he looked at his assembled allies. Halduron, leader of the Blood elves Farstriders, simply shrugged.

"Take it. If the elf in there," He looked at the room where High Elf Archer was in. ", is lying we can easily dispatch what forces try to come through what portal they conjure up in Dalaran." Said Halduron.

"I would advise against it.' Said Rommath, the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas. "If she truly is with the Alliance, then we're putting Quel'Thalas in danger by opening a portal to Dalaran. One portal is all the Alliance needs to send a weapon of mass destruction against us." Aethas Sunreaver looked at Rommath.

"With respect, Rommath, we must take the risk. If she isn't with the Alliance and what she says is true, then this is a golden opportunity for us to rescue the remaining Sunreavers from the Violet hold." Said Aethas, wanting to rescue their remaining people. "Besides, I casted a detection spell on her without her knowledge. She speaks the truth. The full truth. She truly wants to help us."

"Perhaps, but even then, we're at risk." Said Rommath. Although he too wanted to rescue their people, they must be cautious as a single mistake can demand immediate reprisal from the Alliance. "What if this operation fails? What if Jaina Proudmoore is waiting for us to create a portal from Dalaran to Quel'Thalas. All she needs to do with take over control of the portal and she'll be able to have a permanent way to Quel'Thalas."

"And so, you suggest we not do anything!?" Demanded Aethas. "Rommath, this is an opportunity of a lifetime you're suggesting we throw away! The more time our people stay in the Violet Hold, the more difficult it will be to free them!"

"I suggest no such thing!" Snapped Rommath, glaring at Aethas. Before the two could butt heads, Lor'themar spoke.

"Enough." Said Lor'themar, glaring at his two advisors. Rommath and Aethas always butted heads at each other, mostly because Rommath hated the Kirin Tor for their inaction when Garithos, a human commander during the 3rd war, had mistreated the Sin'dorei and even tried to have them all arrested and executed. The fact that Aethas used to be a member of the Kirin Tor, caused Rommath to extend that hatred to Aethas. Despite that though, he did plan a mission to rescue Aethas and the Sunreavers during the purge of Dalaran, so perhaps that hate wasn't as extensive as Rommath believes it to be.

Although they saved Aethas and a handful of other Sunreavers, hundreds were still in the Violet Hold. Something that was a sore subject to Aethas.

"While I understand your caution, Rommath, I have to agree with Halduron and Aethas. This is a golden opportunity to save our people from the Alliance's grasp." Said Lor'themar. "It will be a risky endeavor no doubt, one that could end disastrous for us, but if it means we can the remaining Sunreavers from the Alliance, then we must take it." Rommath sighed at that, but nonetheless agreed to Lor'themar's decision.

"Very well, I'll assemble the blood magi to the main portal chambers. I'll fortify our defenses on our side while you assign whatever forces you desire to handle with the evacuation of the Sunreavers." Said Rommath.

"I will volunteer for the rescue operation." Said Aethas. "The Sunreavers were my responsibility. I am their leader, its only right for me to assist in getting them out."

"Then we are in agreement." Said Lor'themar, satisfied. With that, they all went back inside where High Elf was casually examining a vase in the room. Upon seeing them, she stopped and looked at them.

"So…what's the answer?" Asked High Elf Archer, looking at Lor'themar.

"Well, it appears we are in agreement." Said Lor'themar. "My advisors and myself agree that we'll assist you in this endeavor to free my people from the Alliance. However, if this is indeed a trick, the reprisal will be severe." The growl from Lor'themar was all that High Elf needed to shiver. This was a man that took his people's safety seriously, something that both impressed and scared High Elf.

"Alright." Said High Elf Archer, happy that this was going well, at least on her end. "Then let's get ready to help my team with rescuing your people."

"Wait." Said Rommath. "You said team. How many are on this mission to save our people?" High Elf Archer nervously laughed at that.

"You wouldn't change your mind if I told you how many are actually involved in the mission in Dalaran?" Asked High Elf, knowing she can't lie with the mage with Lor'themar.

**Dalaran**

**Vereesa Windrunner home**

**Ikit**

"***hums*** Finding secret-secret. Must find all secrets." Said Ikit as he rummaged through the room of Vereesa Windrunner and the now deceased Rhonin. When he arrived at the Silver Covenant's leaders' home, Ikit immediately went to the top floors of the house. To the Skaven, the most important people lived in high places, which they kept their most secret of secrets.

In his travels, Ikit seen the other races do this as well, though a few have their secrets in the bottom strangely enough. But after checking that there was not basement, Ikit went to the upper floors.

After going room to room, some of which confused the rat, such the case with a room with nothing but clothes and had so many weird contraptions in them, like a hose and a bowl with water in it, he eventually found the room of Vereesa Windrunner and Rhonin.

After finding it, he immediately went about ransacking the room for any valuables. He had only been here for ten minutes and he already found books with powerful spells in them and some documents with some juicy information in them.

Upon finding another spell book, he placed it in a sack that he brought with him when he learned that his role in the plan was to steal books of knowledge from Dalaran and to make big distraction, something that Ikit was very happy with. Once he was done acquiring what he wanted, he and Jack will be very big explosions that will get the Alliance's attention. Yes-yes.

After placing the spell book in the sack, he grabbed it, finding that he was done here. Now was the time to go to a library and get what he wanted from there.

Upon leaving the room, however, he heard a gasp. When he heard it, Ikit stopped and looked around.

When he found no one, he growled and let go of the sack. Sniffing around, Ikit cautiously went down the stairs of the house.

Sniffing again, Ikit smiled as he found the scent of an elf thing and a man thing nearby. Clenching his metal claws while holding his halberd in the other hand, Ikit went to the room where the smell was the strongest.

Upon entering, Ikit sniffed again. This time his nose pointed to a door nearby. Smiling a sadistic smile, Ikit walked right up to the door and opened it. He was about to open fire with his warpfire projector when he saw who was inside.

To his utmost surprise, he saw two little elf things huddled together in a small room. They had red hair and blue eyes, an odd combination for elves.

Despite being elf things, however, Ikit smelled a bit of man thing as well with these elf things, meaning they were some strange abominations that would be of great interest of Clan Moulder, the Skaven clan that specialized in genetic engineering.

Growling at the boys, keeping them scared, Ikit wondered on what to do.

Before they went on this mission, Chief had specifically ordered Ikit to not kill any children on the mission to Dalaran. Any violation will result in him losing his privileges, including his research time. Anyone else was free game so long as they were fighters.

While Ikit didn't know what qualified as a child to other races, he did know these elves were far too small to be adults. Adult elves were very tall. These two barely reached Ikit in height, even when he hunched his back.

That meant that these two were not to be touched, which complicated matters for Ikit. Not only was he not allowed to kill or harm children, he also had to prevent people from seeing him. So, he was left with a conundrum.

Should he kill the children and hope that Chief doesn't know? Or take them with him and hope they stay quiet? After calculating the odds, Ikit made his decision.

Grabbing the two kids by the scruffs of their necks, Ikit dragged them with him as he made his way to his sack. Despite their attempts to punch him, the two elves were unable to free themselves from Ikit's tight grip. After placing them in the sack and tying it up, Ikit wrapped the sack behind his backpack and went to get his halberd. Once he acquired it, he'll leave to find a library of which he'll try to get some books of knowledge from it.

As the Skaven walked, the two elf kids he took were praying for their mother to rescue them.

**Vereesa**

**Violet Hold**

"**This never gets easier."** Thought Vereesa as she looked at the assembled crowd before her and the Violet Hold. She was honestly surprised with how many people there were.

Even from the perch she had on the protesters, Vereesa still couldn't see the end of the crowd. There must have been at least a few hundred people out there. There were so many, in fact, that Vereesa was certain that the only reason a riot didn't break out was because of the powerful mages the Silver Covenant had at its disposal.

Taking a deep breath, she addressed the crowd.

"Citizens of Dalaran." Said Vereesa, getting everyone's attention. "I know why you're all here. And I'm here to assure you that the Sunreavers are not being mistreated during their time in the Violet Hold. All those that remain there are those that surrendered peacefully. As a result, they're being treated humanely."

"What about the ones that didn't?" Protested one Dwarf mage. "Those were thrown off the side of Dalaran, turning them into a thick paste! I would know! I saw it with me own eyes!" That caused the crowd to go into even bigger roar. Wincing at the thought of that happening, Vereesa tried to explain that.

"If this was done to the dead bodies, then I will make sure that they receive the justice they're obligated to receive." Said Vereesa, though she found the sentence to be distasteful in her mouth. Regardless of her personal feelings, this needed to be addressed. Much as she disliked the Blood elves, throwing dead bodies off the cliffs of Dalaran will not be tolerated under her watch. Basic decency was needed to maintain the image that the Alliance was morally just and good.

"Why should we believe you? You had the Silver Covenant mobilized against the Sunreaver with you at the helm." Said a high elf. To Vereesa's shock, he wore the clothing of a Silver Covenant ranger.

Squashing down the feeling of anger at seeing one of her rangers disobeying her and joining this protest, Vereesa spoke again.

"I know my feelings against the Blood elves aren't the friendliest, although I have justifiable reasons to hate them, I refuse to treat them as rapid beasts. They're still people. And as a result, they're people that should be treated as humanely as possible." She then sighed. "If none of you believe me, then I'll personally escort a handful of you to the Violet hold to see the Sunreavers. To see that they're being treated fairly as much as we're allowed to. Once you see them, its up to you to decide to continue this protest or not."

"This protest isn't just against the treatment of the Sunreavers!" Protested a human. "Its also to have them released." A lot of the crowd yelled out in agreement. Sighing again, Vereesa tried her very best to convince the people to stop this protest.

**Meanwhile**

**Chief**

"We're not going to say this again." Said Courier as he held a Silver Covenant ranger, holding him in place, as Chief was interrogating him. "Either give us the location of the Sunreavers or we'll start breaking bones."

Spitting on the floor, the ranger glared at Chief. They managed to ambush this ranger patrolling alone and have been trying to interrogate him to no avail. He simply refused to give the location of the Sunreavers.

"Do so. I refuse to do anything for those traitors and those conspiring with them." Said the ranger. Sighing, Courier looked at Chief, who nodded. Ripping a piece of the man's outfit, Chief stuffed the piece of cloth in his mouth before grabbing an arm.

"Last chance." Warned Chief as he prepared to bend the arm. Despite the fear in the elf's eyes, he refused to speak. Respecting the man's stubbornness, Chief, nonetheless, began to slowly bend the arm, causing the man to scream as Chief bent the arm so hard that it was starting to give resistance to his efforts. Eventually, Chief pushed the arm so hard that the ranger's elbow bone jutted out of the skin, sending skin and blood all over the floor.

Ignoring the screams, Chief went to a leg and starting to bend it as well. This was an inhuman way to treat a captive, but Chief and Courier didn't have the time to be humane. Not like they could even be humane with their past actions.

As Chief bent the leg in a way it wasn't suppose to, Courier looked at the elf as he held his mouth to prevent him from screaming.

"Listen." Said Courier. "This can stop if you give us the location of the Sunreavers. Save us the troubles of breaking every single limb you have and we'll let you go. We'll make you unconscious, but at least you'll have the rest of your limbs intact." He didn't get an answer as Chief broke his leg, bone showing up in the man's broken skin. He was about to work on the other leg when the elf raised his remaining unbroken arm. Seeing this, Courier took out the cloth, allowing the man to speak.

"Okay. Okay. They're being held two floors above you. All of them. The entire floor is dedicated to keeping them imprisoned." Said the elf.

"Where's the nearest portal room." Said Chief, knowing that they needed it. Not wanting more pain, the elf told them the location of all the portal rooms nearby to the Sunreavers. With that done, Courier snapped the elve's neck and dragged the body somewhere hidden. With that done, Courier followed Chief as he made his way to the Sunreavers.

"You know, Vereesa will want our heads after this, right?" Asked Courier.

"Along with Jaina and the rest of the Silver Covenant." Said Chief. "I hope you and everyone else is willing to accept the consequences of this. If it were up to me, we wouldn't be doing this at all."

"We know." Said Courier, knowing the Chief was going against his nature for this. It was appreciated by all of them. "Being the morally good person is hard work." Chief then pointed to the direction of their recently interrogated elf. "Okay…somewhat morally good. But the point is, its hard work that seems pointless when there's a seemingly easier way to do things. But no matter how easy the alternative is, I'll still try to do the morally right way in doing things, because its what keeps me human. And I think you should try it too, Chief." Chief just looked slightly at Courier's direction.

"It my duty to preserve humanity, whatever the cost. Even if it's the cost of my life or my own humanity. I'm only doing this is because you guys will mutiny if I said we'll leave the Sunreavers alone." Said Chief as they made their way to the Violet Hold. Courier was about to protest when the two spotted some Silver Covenant agents coming their way. Hiding, the two readied their weapons in case a fight broke out. Fortunately for them, a fight didn't happen, as the Silver Covenant warriors passed them without spotting them.

Once they were gone, the two resumed their walk to the Sunreavers.

As they walked, Courier tried to talk with Chief, but the man refused. Sighing in frustration, Courier wondered how he was going to get to Chief. Or if he's the right person to get him to open up.

**Few minutes later**

"God damn." Whispered Courier as he saw the various cages the Sunreavers were in. They seemed to be separated in groups. Women and children were together and males alone in their cages, all of which were made from magic. "Maybe we should have asked how to disable these cages."

"I have an idea how to." Said Chief as he eyed on one of the cages. While most of it was made out of magic energy, the top and bottom portions were made from metal. He guessed if they take out a small portion of the top, they could get the people out. The only problem was the guards. If they missed one, they could sound the alarm and their job will get even more complicated.

"We'll need to take out all the guards though." Said Chief as he readied his battle rifle.

"I guess the no kill rule is thrown out the window." Said Courier as he readied his silenced 12.7 mm smg.

"There was never a no kill rule." Said Chief before he began to tell Courier the plan.

A few minutes later, the two split up and began the time consuming task of taking out all the guards.

**Jack**

"Alright, last explosive placed in the barracks." Said Jack as he placed the last of his explosives in the Silver Covenant's barracks. Since they were a militant organization, Jack didn't feel nearly as bad as he would with a civilian target as he knew that, the moment you become a soldier, you drop some of the privileges that civilians gain when up against an enemy combatant that was following the rules of engagements.

With that explosive placed, Jack left the Silver Covenant district, sneaking past all the guards, despite their enhanced hearing and all their fancy magic. As he got out of the district, he radioed Ikit, needed to meet up with him so they could help out Chief and Courier with freeing the Sunreavers.

"Ikit, I'm done with planting the explosives. Where are you?" Asked Jack as he walked through the empty streets of Dalaran.

"Place of knowledge!" Yelled Ikit as he dropped another book into his sack, not caring if it hit one of the elf things in it. "Track me with this tiny box in my ear. You find-track my location."

Shaking his head, Jack traced the location of Ikit's radio and found the location. After a few minutes, he entered the library that Ikit was in. When he entered, he found the rat dragging a giant sack of stuff with him.

"What the hell man?" Asked Jack, incredulously. "Did you loot all the books in this place?"

"Yes-yes. All books had magic power in them." Said Ikit as he dragged the sack with him. "Also took elf things with me when they discovered me." Jack raised an eyebrow at that.

"Elf things? What elf things?" Asked Jack, knowing that he wouldn't like the answer. Instead of answering, Ikit opened his sack, rummaging in it before bringing out two kids, who flayed around as they tried to get out of the strong grip of Ikit. Upon seeing them, Jack grasped his head in shock and frustration.

"What the fuck, man?!" Said Jack, furious. "Why the hell are you kidnapping kids?"

"They found-find me while I was ransacking elf leader's home. You-you prevented me from killing elf children but also want me to prevent people from knowing about us-us. So, I took them with me. Take them hostage!" Said Ikit, trying to justify his actions.

"Dude, you couldn't have knocked them out?" Asked Jack as he walked up to Ikit.

"Knock out?" Asked Ikit as he tilted his head. "Like…kill-kill with blunt weapon?"

"No." Said Jack before sighing, wondering how Ikit was an engineer of anything. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the kids. "Hey, little ones. Did my friend hurt you or anything?" Upon hearing the question, one kid glared at him while the other fearfully kept quiet.

"You're in big trouble when our mom finds out about this!" Threatened the boy as he tried to kick Jack or Ikit. "She'll pump you full of arrows that you won't be recognized by your friends!"

"I believe that." Said Jack, knowing that danger of provoking a mother that cared for her children. "***Sighs* **Look, I'm sorry about what happened to you. My friend isn't exactly the most…nicest of people."

"And proud-proud of that fact." Said Ikit with a grin.

"But I guarantee that the rest of my group are bad." Said Jack, ignoring what Ikit said. "To show that, I'm going to let you both go." Upon hearing that, Ikit tried to protest, but Jack wasn't having any of it. After some arguing, Ikit reluctantly let both kids go and pushed them away.

While one looked at Jack in appreciation, the other glared at Jack and Ikit, obviously hating them for what they did, something that Jack could completely understand. They did kidnap them, after all.

"Go on." Said Jack, shooing them away. "Go and warn the adults what we're doing here. We won't stop you." With a word, though, the braver of the two charged at Jack and began to punch and kick Jack's shin.

"You think that letting us go after all you've done and what your doing will make us forgive you! You raided our dead dad's room and took his belongings!" Yelled the boy as he continued to punch and kick. Jack, not wanting to do anything, just let the boy take his frustration out. "All what you Horde did and what you're doing now! Haven't you taken enough from us!" Eventually the boy spotted something hanging from Jack's calf. Without a warning, he took the thing, causing Jack to yell out.

Backing a bit from Jack, the boy pointed the object he took from Jack. A wingman heavy pistol, known for its heavy stopping power. Just one shot was enough to pierce the body armor that either Ikit or Jack was wearing.

"Take it easy, kid." Said Jack as he raised his hands in surrender. "You don't want to fire that."

"Why can't I?" Demanded the boy as he glared at them while pointing the gun at them. His brother, meanwhile, was staring at his brother in fear, scared on what his brother was doing right now. "You…you Horde killed my dad, made my mom upset, and made auntie Jaina sad! Why can't you people stop ruining the lives of all we care about?"

It hurt Jack that this kid was thinking this way. This little kid, who was supposed to be free from hard ship and tragedy, was now hating random people for their affiliation with the Horde. Although in team Sigma's case, the kid has every right to be angry with them.

Still, Jack needed to disarm him and to do it without hurting the boy.

"Kid, I know your hurting." Said Jack as he neared the boy, who pointed the gun at him. "You have every right to be at me, the Horde, and my friend. But please, put the gun down. Before you hurt yourself or do something that you'll regret."

Ikit's fur, or what's left of it, then went up in alarm. Instinct then took cover as Ikit threw his halberd as a javelin, aiming right for the pistol the little boy was holding at Jack. Right in time too as the boy was about to pull the trigger.

The halberd rammed itself into the clip that was holding all the bullets. The power emitting from and halberd along with the force of Ikit's throw was enough to cause the bullets to explode, sending shrapnel all over. Some of which at the kid's face.

"Kid!" Yelled Jack as he ran over to inspect him while the other little boy screamed in fright and horror. "God damnit, Ikit! Why the hell did you do that!?"

"To save-save you!" Yelled Ikit as he saw Jack checking the boy's face to see if he can be saved. "He about to fire gun-weapon! You should be thanking me!"

"You could have killed this kid!" Yelled Jack as he inspected the kid's face. With relief, though some of the wounds looked troubling, none of the pistol parts or shrapnel went too deep or hit his eyes. He'll live, but they needed to get him to Torrington for medical treatment. Growling at this turn of events, Jack was about to bring out the med kit he always had when he heard the door to the library open.

"What is going on…" The Silver covenant ranger that opened the door widened their eyes at what they saw. Upon seeing the ranger, Ikit fired his warpfire projector at them. The stream of warpfire hit the elf in the chest, which began to melt as the elf tumbled outside, melting as the warpfire did its work.

"God damnit!" Yelled Jack as he brought out his med kit before bringing out a shot of morphine and injecting it into the wounded boy. "Things are going to hell quick!" He then turned to Ikit. "Since you got us into this mess by kidnaping these boys, you're helping me carry them to the Violet Hold, where we can extract with the others." With the boy treated for now, Jack went to the other. "Carry him and I'll deal with the other one."

Ikit growled at the order, but nonetheless went to the wounded boy, who was now unconscious, and placed him over his right shoulder.

As Ikit went to gather his loot and halberd, Jack went to the last unwounded boy, who was starring at Jack in fear.

"Look, if you want to see your brother again, safe and sound, you have to come with me." Said Jack as he held his hand. "I know that I shouldn't be asking this from you, but your brother needs you right now. He needs someone he can trust to see him through what we need to do to save his life. I know it'll leave you mother extremely worried for you and your brother but trust me." Jack then went down to his knees and took off his helmet, revealing his face. "I promise you; I'll protect you and your brother until its time for you to come back to your mother, safe and healthy. I'll even risk my own life to tell her that you two are fine." Jack then let out his hand. "Trust me."

The little elf looked between Ikit holding his brother as securely as he could with both the big bag he had of stolen goods and his halberd. He then looked at the strange man, holding out his hand. Upon seeing the pleading look on his face, the kid took his hand and held it tightly.

"You better make my brother better. Otherwise, I'll never forgive you." Whispered the boy, trying to be firm in his voice, but couldn't keep out his fear of them.

Nodding at that, Jack put his helmet back on before grabbing the boy and placing him on his back.

"Hold on tight." Said Jack, looking over his shoulder to see the boy wrapping his hands over his neck. Upon seeing the boy's nod, Jack put two fingers on the side of his helmet to radio Chief of the situation.

"Chief we have a situation." Said Jack as he and Ikit made their way out of the library as stealthily as they could.

**Chief**

"Chief, we have a situation." Said Jack via the radio as Chief killed two rangers with his silenced pistol. While their cohorts were shocked at the sudden kill, Chief pounced on them.

Grabbing one, he snapped their neck by twisting so hard that their head was now backwards before stabbing one in the forehead with his combat knife. The last one scrambled to bring out his knife while Chief placed a bullet in his head, killing him.

"What is it?" Asked Chief as he finished his last kill. That should be the last Silver Covenant agent on this floor. Checking his ammo supply, Chief was somewhat impressed with how much ammo he saved up. He only used up half a clip of his battle rifle and two clips of his magnum. All of which were used to kill a Silver Covenant agent. There were a hundred or so soldiers on the floor, including mages, but through stealth and luck, Chief and Courier managed to kill them all without them raising an alarm.

This group of five was the last remaining Silver Covenant soldiers in the floor, leaving them free rein to free the Sunreavers, which Courier was doing with a Covenant energy sword. Last he checked, Courier was working with several Sunreavers in freeing everyone. They should be, or at the very least nearly done, with freeing all the Sunreavers from their captivity.

"We got spotted, sir. We managed to take them out, but its only a matter of time before they find the puddle of goo the poor sod is now." Said Jack. "We're making our way back to you now. Hold for us."

Chief cursed under his breath at hearing that. Of course, something like that will happen.

"We'll hold for you." Said Chief before cutting comms with Jack. He then radioed Courier, who was on the other side of the floor, securing the portal room in this floor. "Courier, our time window just shortened. Did you create a portal to Quel'Thalas yet?"

"We're working on it." Said Courier as he watched several Sunreaver mages work hard to create a portal to Quel'Thalas. To his frustration, the Silver Covenant managed to put up several wards to prevent one from teleporting in this floor. Powerful ones at that. It was taking the combined might of the remaining Sunreaver mages to bypass the wards and to create a portal. "We should have it in a minute."

"Alright." Said Chief. "I'll round up the remaining Sunreaver and meet you there."

"Understood. I'll mark the location of the remaining Sunreaver cages in your HUD. I had to escort the mages to the portal room in this floor." Said Courier before cutting comms. With that, he walked up to a mage currently in the process of doing…whatever the heck mages do.

"Hey, I know this is something beyond my expertise, but can you hurry this up? Silver Covenant soldiers may arrive soon, and I don't think we can hold them off for long." Said Courier to the mage, a female one at that.

"We're trying, but the wards they put up are strong. They must really hate us if they put up such strong wards." Said the mage. "It'll take time to…"

"I know that." Interrupted Courier. "Just hurry. I want to get your people out of here." Though annoyed that she was interrupted, the mage let out a smile at the Courier's genuine want to get her people out of here.

"Thank you for your concern. I didn't think we had any human allies left. At least ones that are this crazy to pull a stunt like this." Courier laughed a bit at that.

"Yeah well, my group is fairly crazy, but that's what makes us…us." Said Courier before getting ready to defend this portal room from impossible odds.

**Quel'Thalas**

"**Okay, everything is ready." **Thought High Elf Archer as she eyed all the able-bodied rangers, mages, and soldiers Lor'themar managed to round up without compromising Quel'Thalas's defenses. He also brought healers as well, in case a few Sunreavers were in need of medical assistance.

As soon as the portal connecting to Dalaran to Quel'Thalas was open, the blood elf forces would go through and ensure that they're people will make it through safely. All of them.

That is, of course, if the portal hadn't been hijacked by the Dalaran forces. If it was, then High Elf was at risk at being killed by a pissed off Lor'themar, who was suspicious of her enough already. When she told him just how many people were involved in this operation on her side, he starred at her incredulously. It took all her diplomatic skills, which were slim to none, and a lot of begging for him to go along with this plan.

Ultimately, his desire to save his people, caused Lor'themar to cave in and reluctantly allow this plan to happen. Though he did promise High Elf that, if any of his forces were hurt or killed in this little suicide mission, then he'll make her pay dearly for each of his people that were hurt or slain, something that frightened the little elf.

It was clear to her that Lor'themar cared deeply for his people. So much so, that he was willing to partake in such a high-risk operation to get them home safely. An admirable quality, but one that can make him quite a fearsome foe to those that hurt his people or get them killed by accident.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at Lor'themar, who had decided to take part in this operation, much to the dismay of Rommath.

"You ready?" Asked High Elf, wanting to start a conversation in order to break the stiff silence that was happening in the portal chamber. Lor'themar just tilted his head towards her.

"The question you should be asking is are you prepared to suffer. Because you'll be subjected to unimaginable tortures if this becomes a disaster." Said Lor'themar. Despite willing to partake in this mission, Lor'themar was worried that will end badly for them all. What if the Silver Covenant captured the small force that was sent to rescue his people and they found out what was going on? What if, upon finding out, used the new portal connecting Dalaran to Quel'Thalas as a means to attack his city?

So many risks were involved in this operation, and Lor'themar hoped that this rescue operation didn't become a disaster for his people.

Frowning at that, High Elf glared at Lor'themar.

"I have faith in my teammates and friends. They'll get it done. Trust me." Said High Elf Archer. Before Lor'themar could argue that he didn't know their capabilities, a portal suddenly opened.

Upon seeing the portal open, all the blood elf soldiers readied themselves in case it were Silver Covenant rangers that came through the portal and not there people.

A few seconds later, a Sunreaver and, to High Elf's relief, Courier came out.

Upon seeing the Sunreaver, Aethas rushed toward them.

"By the Sunwell!" Yelled Aethas as he went over to the female Sunreaver. "Nueana! You're unharmed." The Sunreaver mage smiled at Aethas.

"Yes, Aethas, I'm unharmed and so are most of our people." Said Nueana as she looked at her leader. "But we must hurry, the Silver Covenant may be on to us."

"Then we don't have much time." Said Lor'themar as he walked up to the two Sunreavers and Courier along with High Elf. He then looked at the assembled blood elf taskforce. "Rangers! Today we have a rare opportunity to free our people from the clutches of the Alliance! Go through the portal and set up a defense line so that the Sunreavers can escape safely back into our city! We will not stop until every single Sunreaver is free from the clutches of the treacherous Alliance!"

With that speech, the Blood elves quickly went through the portal. As his people went through the portal, Lor'themar looked at Courier and High Elf.

"It seems that you fulfilled your bargain." Said Lor'themar. "I apologize for doubting your friend's abilities, little elf." Puffing her cheeks at being called little elf, High Elf was about to yell at Lor'themar when Courier spoke.

"Don't apologize, sir." Said Courier. "Its alright to doubt that such few numbers can rescue so many from a high security prison. I also have to say that we haven't fulfilled our side of the bargain just yet. There are still hundreds left of your people that still need rescuing, sir. Thank us after we saved them all." Lor'themar raised an eyebrow at that. Surprised at this man's care of his people, based on how he voiced his concern for his people. Normally humans, at least he thought this man was human, based on his height, though his armor did well to hide what species he truly was. Nonetheless, Lor'themar was willing to indulge the man.

"I suppose you are right." Said Lor'themar. "My soldiers will help your…let's say group in defending the portal until the remaining Sunreavers are safe. But as soon as the last Sunreaver is safe in Quel'Thalas, we're gone. Is that sufficient?"

"Fine." Said Courier. "We're leaving with you guys anyway." He then raised a finger. "One more thing. Well actually two things. Are you prepared to give these requests now?" Lor'themar raised an eyebrow at that.

"So long as they don't endanger the safety of my men or people." Said Lor'themar.

"Then you're in luck as both won't." Said Courier before giving out his requests.

**Chief**

**Few minutes later**

"**Come on Jack, hurry up." **Thought Chief as more Sunreavers went through the portal. There were now only a few dozen left. If Jack and Ikit didn't arrive soon, they'll be left behind. Not wanting to leave them behind, he looked at Lor'themar and Aethas, both of whom went through the portal to oversee the evacuation of the remaining Sunreavers. "Lor'themar, two of my men aren't back yet. Can you spare a mage to bring them back?" Asked Chief. Before Lor'themar could speak, Aethas spoke up.

"I'll do it so long as it doesn't take too much time." Said Aethas. These people were risking their lives by doing this, it was the least he could do to repay them. "Where are they?"

In response, Chief radioed Jack and asked where his location was. After a few seconds, he gave the location to Aethas.

"They're in a grassy park that can see the eastern part of the Violet Hold. It has a plaque that commemorates the battler of Theramor." Aethas sighed at that.

"I know the place." Said Aethas before teleporting out, albeit with some difficulty due to the wards stilled placed in the Violet Hold. With that done, Chief looked at Lor'themar, who sighed.

"Damn Aethas. Too damn good for your own good." Said Lor'themar before redirecting his efforts to getting his people out of Dalaran.

After a few more minutes, the last of the Sunreavers made it out of Dalaran and to the safety of Quel'thalas. With them gone, the Blood elf forces began to leave as well. As his forces were leaving, Lor'themar looked at Chief.

"Just so you know, if Aethas is captured again, I'm holding you responsible." Said Lor'themar.

"And if you try anything on us for that, I'll kill you before you could even act." Said Chief, looking at Lor'themar, who was unnerved with the emotionless expression that Chief's helmet gave him.

"You think you could beat an elf in agility and speed?" Asked Lor'themar, glaring at Chief with his one eye.

"Do you want to find out?" Asked Chief, not getting into a combat stance so as to give the message to Lor'themar that he doesn't want to fight now. Just before Lor'themar could give his answer, Aethas arrived with Ikit, Jack, and two kids.

"We're here." Said Aethas. "And we have some univited guests." Looking at the children, Chief looked at Jack.

"We'll explain later." Said Jack before going through the portal with one of the kids.

"A rat." Said Lor'themar, looking at Ikit, who growled at Lor'themar. "A walking rat. Now I've seen it all." Ikit growled again before leaving for the portal. Chief didn't respond, he just simply went through the portal. With them gone, Lor'themar looked at Aethas, who shrugged.

"We got our people out of here. It's the least I could do for them." Said Aethas before leaving for the portal, thus leaving Lor'themar alone. Sighing, Lor'themar went through the portal. Once he was through, the portal closed, thus cutting off the only entrance to Quel'Thalas from Dalaran.

**Vereesa**

Vereesa sighed as she went to her home.

"**Note to self, inform Jaina that there are still citizens that disapprove from the imprisonment of the Sunreavers. And that they're ones that are willing to fight against us."** Thought Vereesa as she recalled a few protestors ready to fight the Silver Covenant with just their fists. Fortunately, they managed to calm down when Vereesa brought in more Silver Covenant rangers. With more reinforcements, the protestors backed off, thus allowing Vereesa to leave and head to her home, where she wanted nothing more than to sleep on her bed and rest for the rest of the day tomorrow.

That or to spend the day with her kids, who missed her considerably the last time she saw them. And she as well.

Upon opening the door to her room, she immediately found something was amiss.

Looking around the living room, she saw the lights to her room was open. Considering that Giramar and Galadin won't enter her room without permission, Vereesa brought out a knife and cautiously walked to her room.

Upon entering, she was shocked to find her room ransacked. Books were stolen, clothes were all over the place, and drawers were all over the place. Upon seeing the messed up room, Vereesa immediately went to her two son's room, fearing for the worst.

Upon finding them not there, Vereesa immediately went into panic mode.

"Giramar! Galadin!" Yelled Vereesa as she searched everywhere for her children in her house. After searching every knock and cranny in the room, did she break down in tears. Her children were missing. Kidnapped. First her husband. And now her twin sons'.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Destins- I suppose you're right with Chief. A rewrite of that scene should be uploaded as soon as this chapter is uploaded.**

**And thank you for praise. Much as I prefer a gun or sword over magic most of the time with some exceptions, magic users are more dangerous than a guy with a gun, let's be honest. Unless you shot them dead before the cast or do so many attack on them that they can't cast without getting cut in pieces.**

**And yes, Jaina is out for blood. A lot of blood.**

**11/20/2019- Rewritten due to criticism.**

**Dalaran**

**Violet Hold**

**Jaina**

Anger, shock, and hatred were the best emotions that were prominent in Jaina Proudmoore at the moment as she looked walked around the prison level where the Sunreavers were placed after the purge of Dalaran. Well used to because they're all missing. Right under their noses. Various mages and Silver Covenant rangers were hard at work in determining how they managed to escape and did so without them noticing.

Though they got a base idea, a small team of elite warriors managed to infiltrate Dalaran, kill the guards that were guarding the Sunreavers, then somehow managed to escape with all their prisoners. The fact they all escaped meant that magic was involved. Thus, they were looking for magical residual that'll give them any clues to who did this.

The fact that all of the Sunreavers that they captured had escaped, left Jaina infuriated. So infuriated that she wanted to go out in the field and destroy an entire Horde army by herself. It also left her in a violent disposition, which left many keeping their distance from her so they're not the ones that face her wrath.

Fortunately for everyone in Dalaran, Jaina restrained herself and simply relegated herself to help with the investigation of how the Sunreavers escaped. Looking at the Silver Covenant ranger, she asked them how they escaped.

"Well," Started the ranger as he looked at their sourroundings. It was the portal chambers that Chief and group used to escape. "From what we can tell, several mages combined their power to create a portal, breaking through our wards through sheer power. To where I don't know."

"I know." Said Jaina. "Quel'Thalas." The ranger nodded.

"A possibility." Said the ranger. "Though we're not certain of that. We're still looking into it. Don't worry miss Proudmoore, we'll get to the bottom of this." Jaina nodded at the ranger before taking off, knowing that they'll find out what happened eventually.

As she passed Silver Covenant soldiers, either investigating how the Sunreavers escaped or were covering the bodies of their dead, she couldn't help but feel sorrow for them. Most of the Silver Covenant soldiers were High Elves, who have forsaken their Blood elf brethren to keep their status of High Elves.

Originally, the Blood Elves used to be High Elves and there was no such thing as a Blood elf, but after Arthas, the name brought shivers to Jaina's spine, sacked Quel'Thalas, the High Elves prince, Kael Sunstrider, changed their name from High Elves to Blood Elves, to honor those that died at Arthas's hands.

Some, however, refused this choice and choose to remain High Elves, whether out of pride or because of Kael's decision to use Fel magic, a powerful, but additive form of magic, to sustain the Blood elves as, unlike other races, including the Night Elves, they needed some kind of magic energy to sustain themselves along with regular food and water. Without it, they become weak and frail. Some can even die without a good amount of magic power.

They originally had it in the form of the Sunwell, a fountain of mystical power found in Quel'Thalas, but after Arthas came and corrupted it, they had to use the Fel to survive. Although technically they could find it in other sources, Fel energy, at the time, was the most easily accessible for the Blood elves and was abundant enough to sustain them indefinitely. What few were left, anyway.

Those that refused this treatment were kicked out of Quel'Thalas, and they kept the name High Elf as a result. Most that survived the 3rd war went to Dalaran, finding the city to be the most secured non-alliance, until just a day ago, city left for them to repopulate their people. The rest lived in scattered villages or communities in Alliance lands.

Kicked out for refusing a treatment that, admittedly, could prevent them from going frail and die was something that Jaina found a bit too harsh. Perhaps if they were in the Alliance, Jaina would have been able to help them with finding an alternative solution to their magic problem, but after the bombing of Theramore, the traitorous actions of the Sunreavers, any sympathy Jaina had left for the Blood elves were gone, replaced by a cold need for vengeance.

Pushing the Blood elves out of her mind, she ventured to the home of Vereesa Windrunner. For some odd reason, it wasn't Vereesa that had reported to her of the escape of the Sunreavers. Rather it was one of her lieutenants.

Wondering why this was, Jaina was currently walking to her home so she could figure out why. It couldn't be shame for failing to prevent the Sunreavers from escaping. Her pride would have prevented her from not reporting in of the situation.

Upon arriving at the house and opening the door, she heard the sounds of Vereesa crying to herself. Concerned for her friend, she went to Vereesa's room to see her crying while holding a picture frame.

"Vereesa, what happened?" Asked Jaina, shocked to see such a display. Upon hearing that, Vereesa looked at Jaina, tears in her eyes.

"Its my boys, Jaina. They've been kidnapped." Said Vereesa, managing to say the words. Widening her eyes in horror and shock, Jaina stared at Vereesa, too caught up in her shock to say anything. After a minute or two of gawking, Jaina went over to Vereesa and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry for you." Said Jaina in true sorrow. "Not only did you lose Rhonin, but now this," She looked at the picture frame that Vereesa was holding. "If I had known that any of this would have happened, I would have stayed behind and stopped all this from happening." She then began to hug the elf tighter.

At first, Vereesa didn't respond, but soon, she began to break down in tears again. Eventually, she broke down and cried like a little girl, staining Jaina's chest with tears. She cried for forgiveness, both at Jaina for failing her and Rhonin for failing to protect their children.

Jaina just allowed this to happen, soothingly stroking the Windrunner's back as she cried her sorrows away. After a few minutes, Vereesa stopped and looked at Jaina with sorrow.

"I'm so sorry I failed you." Said Vereesa, voice hoarse from the crying. "I'm unworthy of being called a Windrunner. If Alleria or even Sylvanas had been in my place, they would have done a far better job than me. They would have stopped the prisoners from escaping and even captured the ones trying to free them." Jaina looked at Vereesa in pity at that.

Even if she didn't say it, Vereesa always felt like she was overshadowed by her sisters and their accomplishments. Sylvanas was the ranger general of Silvermoon before Arthas came. Even then, she's now the leader of the Forsaken and is one of the Horde's best tacticians.

Alleria had, before she went missing, had been the catalyst of several victories against the old Horde before Thrall took over and had killed so many Trolls in the defense of Quel'Thalas during the 2nd great war that many Trolls still fear her.

But Vereesa. She didn't have anything that was as spectacular as her two sisters. She didn't lead the defense of Quel'Thalas when Arthas attacked like Sylvanas did. She didn't take the fight to the Orcs on their home world of Draenor like Alleria did. Her best accomplishment was stopping Zendarin, her own cousin, from stealing the Demon soul, but that was nothing compared to the likes of her sisters and their accomplishments.

She tried to hide it, but Vereesa felt like she was nothing like her sisters. That she was a mockery to the Windrunner name. Rhonin managed to lessen this view she had on herself. And with the birth of their twins, Vereesa's thoughts of being a worthless addition to the Windrunner legacy was all but forgotten.

But then Rhonin died and now this. Those thought must be resurfacing, except worse then they have been before.

Shaking her head, Jaina stroked the silver hair of Vereesa.

"Vereesa, you're not unworthy of being called a Windrunner. You had no idea what was happening, the enemy was just that skilled in the arts of stealth. I'm sure that your sisters would have just been as befuddled as you are right now." Vereesa, however, shook her head.

"I should have done better. I should have better protected my children. And now they're gone. Taken by those murderous thieves. There's no telling what horrors they're being forced to endure.

**Quel'Thalas**

"Jesus fuck." Said Courier as he carefully pulled out the weapon parts and shrapnel from Galadin, one of Vereesa's kids. After pulling a big piece of metal from the kid's face, he quickly began to clean and disinfect the wound before bandaging it up. "Kids going to have some scaring later on unless your mages have some fancy magic that can cause them to go away." The Sunreaver medic that was with him shook his head.

"I'm afraid we don't have anything that can remove the scars permeant. We can make them barely visible, but they'll still be there." Courier sighed at that.

"Damn. Poor kid. Didn't deserve this." Said Courier with the Blood elf nodding in agreement.

**Vereesa and Jaina**

"I know." Said Jaina. "Rest assured that I'll do whatever I can to get them back. And if the Horde…," Jaina then swallowed. "…If the Horde killed them then every single one of them will receive a death so painful that they're ancestors and descendants will feel it. I promise you that." Vereesa smiled at that, but still had tears dripping down her face.

"I think I should resign from my position, Jaina. I feel like I don't deserve it anymore." Jaina widened her eyes in shock, not believing what she heard. Having be the one that founded the Silver Covenant, Jaina didn't think Vereesa would ever give up the position of leadership she had in the organization until she felt it was time or if someone else was more capable to lead it than her. To her recollection, Vereesa didn't have a successor yet, nor had any plans to retire anytime soon.

"No, don't do such a thing, Vereesa. You've been a great commander to the Silver Covenant. Just because you failed in one mission, doesn't mean you aren't worthy of being a leader."

"That one failure was allowing the entire Sunreaver prisoner population to escape, getting hundreds of my men killed, and getting my children kidnaped." Said Vereesa miserably. "Anyone else would have done a better job than me." Exasperating in frustration, Jaina forced her to look at her.

"If you do this, then you'll be disappointing Rhonin." Said Jaina. Upon hearing that Vereesa widened her eyes in shock. Jaina cursed herself for using Vereesa's dead husband against her, but if that was needed for her to stop her mopping, then so be it.

"Rhonin didn't marry you because of your beauty, Vereesa. He married you for your warrior heart and unwillingness to give up, despite the opposition. If he was here, he would be telling you to stop mopping around and give up this insane idea of giving up your position. He would also be telling you to get back out in the field and fight to return your children back to you. That's who he married Vereesa. Not the person you are currently. So please," Jaina then adopted a pleading look. "Don't give up so easily." Vereesa just looked at Jaina. Seeing the fire in her eyes caused her to sigh.

"Very well. I'll stay in my position as general of the Silver Covenant." Said Vereesa. "But one more failure as the one last night, and I'm gone. The Silver Covenant is better off with a more competent general." Jaina nodded at that before helping Vereesa up.

"Come, you're not doing yourself any favors by staying here moping around. Let's get you some sun." Said Jaina as she led Vereesa out of her home and to the streets of Dalaran. As they left, Jaina began to think on those that freed the Sunreavers and how they'll pay for their transgression. They made a powerful enemy today and they'll regret ever making it.

**Quel'Thalas**

"I must admit, I did not think that we will ever get our people out of the Violet Hold." Said Lor'themar as he walked with Master Chief in the streets of Quel'Thalas. The rest of his team were either exploring Quel'Thalas freely or were tending to the sons of Vereesa Windrunner. As they walked, countless citizens, mostly Sunreavers, came up to them and thanked Chief for saving the Sunreavers from the hands of the Alliance. Some elf maidens had even looked at the man suggestively, thinking him as a suitable mate. Considering Lor'themar had seen how he looked during a celebratory dinner that Lor'themar made done to celebrate the successful evacuation of the remaining Sunreavers, where team Sigma, strange name, had to attend, he could safely say that Chief would get quite a few maidens wanting his hand in marriage, despite him being human.

"If it weren't for you, my people would be stuck, rotting in cells." Said Lor'themar.

"Don't blame the entire Alliance for that, regent lord." Said Chief, looking at Lor'themar with that strange helmet with a golden visor. "Blame Jaina Proudmoore and her way of dealing with betrayal."

Though Chief could understand Jaina's anger at the Horde for destroying her home and countless friends, the way she dealt with the Sunreavers was completely unnecessary and stupid. If she was in the UNSC and she had done such an act against a civilian populace of the UNSC, she would have been thrown to the brig for unfit behavior for an officer as well as letting her emotions get the better of her and causing civilians to be hurt as a result.

Why the Kirin Tor allowed an, at the moment, emotionally unstable individual be their leader during a war astounded him. Though Jaina was a great mage who worked with the Horde before, even advocating for peace between the two superpowers, at least according to the rumor mill and from Alliance officials that couldn't keep their mouths shut while High Elf was out shopping for supplies, she clearly isn't that woman at the moment, and likely never will be again after Theramore.

According to Aethas, it was due to a prophecy, one that pertained to Jaina. That left him and the rest of team Sigma shaking their heads. Even if that prophecy turned out to be true, that shouldn't be dictating their decisions. Even if this was a land filled with magic, Chief refused to listen to a prophecy. To him, prophecies were thing that can be used to control people, to prevent others from doing what was best for the people. If he was told that a prophecy pertained to him, he'll tell them that he'll acknowledge it before telling them that he won't follow it or believe it, especially if it'll force him from doing what needed to be done to save the innocent.

"I know that." Said Lor'themar, slightly offended. "I know that it was Jaina that ordered the imprisonment of my people. But the fact is that the Alliance is doing nothing to punish her for her actions. The Blood elves were in the middle of negotiating with the Alliance, to turn from Garrosh and his Horde, and it looked like we'll join them. But then Jaina comes and does her purge of Dalaran. When I sent word to my ambassador of this, he told me that the Alliance king refused to do anything, claiming that he had no authority on what the Kirin Tor did." Lor'themar then growled as he thought of Varian and how he did nothing against Jaina for what she did.

"You shouldn't be blaming Varian for that." Said Chief. "The Kirin Tor were technically neutral at the time of the purge. He couldn't do anything to them without causing a massive scandal."

"Really? Then perhaps he should have said something to me personally instead of sending my ambassador back to me in chains!" Yelled Lor'themar, remembering how his ambassador returned to Quel'Thalas in cuffs. The Alliance mage with him then insulted them, calling them betrayers and the lot that don't deserve to be in the Alliance.

Chief just stayed silent as Lor'themar silently fumed. Eventually he calmed down and spoke to Chief with his usual regal tone.

"Let's drop this conversation. It's no good for either of us." Said Lor'themar, not wanting to be angry at the people that saved the Sunreavers just hours ago over such a petty subject. Chief just nodded before changing the subject.

"How are the Blood elves being treated under Garrosh's leadership?" Chief asked, needing to know what the Blood elves stance on Garrosh were. If they could get a race within the Horde to help them in killing Garrosh, or at least depose him, and replace him with a more stable and logical leader then peace on Azeroth can be brought once again. Or at least until the two sides decide to be idiots and fight again.

"Well you certainly like to ask questions that frustrate me to no end." Said Lor'themar. "***Sighs* **As I said, if it weren't for Jaina and her stupidity, I would have lead my people away from the Horde and into Alliance hands."

"But now?"

"***Sighs* **Now, I'm not too sure." Said Lor'themar, sitting on a bench in front of a fountain. "The decision, at the time, was supported by most of my advisors and closest allies, but now, after what happened in Dalaran, they're advising against it. To continue the fight against the Alliance for this transgression."

"You don't approve?" Asked Chief, surprised slightly at Lor'themar's levelheadedness. If there was a Horde leader that they had the best chance of convincing to help Team Sigma's goal in stopping Garrosh and ending the war, then it was Lor'themar. The others they didn't much information on, so there could be others that they could convince.

"A bit." Said Lor'themar. "I put the protection of my people first and foremost." That was something that Chief could agree on. If one didn't put their own specie's interest first, or at least high up on their importance's list, then they weren't exactly fit to be their leader. "Though we're not technically being oppressed by Garrosh, in his eyes, we Blood elves are beneath Orcs, that we should be glad that he's even letting them in the Horde in the first place."

While Garrosh technically didn't say those thing in Lor'themar's face during the many council meeting between Horde leaders, he could see it in the Orc's eyes. He could see it in the Orc's eyes whenever he saw the other Horde leaders from the other races. Sylvanas. Baine. Vol'jin. Gallywix. It didn't matter. What mattered in that insufferable Orc's head was that they weren't Orcs and that made them and their concerns beneath him and his role was War chief of the Horde.

This caused him to but heads with the other leader. Sylvanas calls him an idiotic brute that'll lead the Horde to ruin. Vol'jin is rumored to be plotting rebellion against Garrosh. Even Baine wants him dethroned and he's the most tolerant of the Horde leaders. Gallywix doesn't give a flying fuck about what happens. Just that he gets money. Needless to say, Garrosh is in hot waters right now. All it takes is a strong leader, like Vol'jin, to ignite the sparks of rebellion. The only important question to Lor'themar, though, is where he will be during that inevitable rebellion.

"I take it a rebellion is inevitable?" Asked Chief, despite knowing it to be true. Their raids on Horde bases more or less have confirmed the theory that rebellion will happen in the Horde. The diaries of Blood elf and various other races practically confirmed that.

"To be honest, I'm surprised war didn't happen when Cairne, the previous leader of the Tauren, was killed by Garrosh. Granted it was revealed that Cairne was secretly killed by his rival Magatha Grimtotem, using the Mak'gora between Garrosh and Cairne as a way to kill the old Tauren, but still, I thought the Tauren will want Garrosh's head after Cairne died. Guess that shows just how nice they are." Lor'themar then coughed before speaking again. "Anyway, if I had to guess, Vol'jin will be leading the rebellion. He's the most vocal of his disapproval of Garrosh actions."

"Will you and the others join?" Asked Chief. Lor'themar shrugged.

"Baine will no doubt support Vol'jin in disposing Garrosh. Gallywix will support either one. He doesn't care who wins, just that he gets paid. Sylvanas hates Garrosh and his actions but I don't know if that translates to her siding with Vol'jin when he rebels." Explained Lor'themar.

"What about you? Will you support Vol'jin if he rebels?" Lor'themar sighed at that.

"That's the big question. I don't know." Said Lor'themar honestly. "I hate Garrosh for his xenophobia and his want for war, but if I rebel against him and that rebellion fails, his retribution will be catastrophic to my people."

"You don't trust the other leaders of the Horde to succeed?" Asked Chief.

"I don't doubt their abilities." Clarified Lor'themar. "I doubt that the rebellion can garner enough support for it to succeed."

"Why not secretly convince the others to support this supposed rebellion then? Surely you have some clout within the Horde." Said Chief. Lor'themar laughed out loud at that.

"You think that they'll listen to me? The blood elves have a reputation within the Horde as being haughty and self-absorbed. Even during Thrall's reign, we weren't the most well-liked race within the Horde. Besides, the ones that are most likely to listen to me are already ready to rebel. Sylvanas may once been a proud daughter of Silvermoon, but that was a long time ago. Now she has no loyalty to her former home. And like I said, Gallywix isn't exactly a reliable person. If those other two leaders side with Garrosh in this rebellion, then the chances of the rebellion winning are minimal at best.

With Lor'themar not willing to do much unless there was a good chance of victory, Chief offered him an alternative.

"What about a high-risk assassination of Garrosh and all his named successors? Or people that support him no matter what? Will that work? To convince you to join this rebellion?" Asked Chief. Lor'themar hummed at that. It was a frowned upon tactic for the Horde, but Lor'themar knew just how useful those dirty tactics were.

"What exactly are you proposing?" Asked Lor'themar, knowing what Chief was proposing was dangerous. Both for him and his people.

"You give us names of people that Garrosh named as his successors or his top generals and we'll take them out. That way the rebellion has a higher chance of victory." Said Chief. This was a dangerous proposal. One that can backfire a great deal to him and the Horde. Lor'themar could find this deal insulting and warn the Horde of this and they'll be forced to deal with both the Alliance and Horde.

And if the Alliance found out that Horde forces and equipment were being taking out, they could see it as an opportunity to be bold and fight harder against the Horde, even taking the fight to Quel'Thalas or Undercity.

Lor'themar glanced at Chief as if he was mad when he made his proposal.

"You want me to give you the names of Garrosh's successors and best tacticians so you can kill them?" Asked Lor'themar incredulously. "You realize how much that can backfire for my people and the Horde, correct?"

"I know." Said Chief. "But it's either that or help in the rebellion when it comes. Because, like it or not, you have to take a risk on who to support when rebellion occurs. If I have to, you owe me for saving your people. I will use that if it means your cooperation." Lor'themar growled at that.

"You're blackmailing me." Said Lor'themar, glaring at Chief.

"If it gets what I want, yes." Said Chief before going to his ship. "Think it over Lor'themar. You still have a choice on the matter."

With that, Chief began to walk away, telling him that he'll expect answer from soon. If he doesn't see him when his team departed from Quel'Thalas, he'll assume that Lor'themar didn't want to partake in Chief's offer. He also told him that if that was the case then Team Sigma will end this war on their own with no support. Once he left, Lor'themar pondered on what to do.

**Courier and Ikit**

**Dropship**

"So much-much knowledge." Said Ikit as he read a book he stole from Dalaran, sniffing it on occasion. "This will elevate me to even greater power! Yes-yes."

"Yeah that's great, man." Said Courier, now finished with treating Galadin and was now carrying him back to the dropship. It took a lot of persuasion to convince Chief to allow Vereesa's children back to Torrington base. Eventually he caved, though he warned that he'll have them brought to Quel'Thalas if they proved to be troublesome. After placing Galadin gently to a row of seats on the Pelican dropship, he looked at his brother Giramar, who was currently staying silent in the dropship, being watched by Ikit as he read a book. Looking at the kid, Courier knelt down to look him in the eye. "Your brother is going to be fine, kid. He'll have some scaring, but he'll live." Looking at the man in scary green and brown armor, Giramar simply nodded.

Sighing, Courier patted the boy in the head gently, trying to act as comforting as he can.

"You're a brave kid. Your mother and father would be proud of you." Said Courier. Giramar still stayed silent before nodding in thanks. After promising that he won't let anyone hurt Giramar or his brother, Courier waited with Ikit for everyone else to arrive.

In under an hour, they all did and got onboard. High Elf sat far away from Jack, who sat next to Giramar and the unconscious Galadin, keeping them both close to him. Both not looking at each other. Confused at this, he was about to ask when Chief spoke.

"We're on our own." Said Chief as he sat down. Courier looked at Chief.

"You sure?" Asked Courier. Chief nodded.

"Lor'themar is too worried about his people's safety to overthrow Garrosh." Said Chief. "Looks like we're on our own unless he changes his mind or he get another Horde leader to help us."

"Any in mind?" Asked High Elf Archer, curious.

Chief was about to speak when they heard Lor'themar.

"Stop!" Yelled Lor'themar as he ran with his guards. Upon hearing Lor'themar's voice, Chief got off the ship and went up to Lor'themar.

"Changed your mind?" Asked Chief as Lor'themar stopped before him. Grumbling a bit, Lor'themar spoke.

"I thought of your proposal and I believe it could work. The Alliance is too busy in a new land to take Orgrimmar or Quel'Thalas. Although I have no doubt that SI:7 has men monitoring us, I doubt the Alliance has the manpower necessary to seize an opportunity to attack one of the Horde's capital cities." Explained Lor'themar.

"Yes, this new land. It attracted that much of a presence from the Alliance?" Asked Chief. Lor'themar nodded.

"Oh yes. I've been there and the resources there speak for themselves, including the people." Said Lor'themar. "In case you were living under a rock or came from space, which most of you have, the land is called Pandaria, a land full of beauty, but also great danger."

"Danger?" Asked Chief. Lor'themar sighed.

"You know the reason why my people were purged from Dalaran? Its because of an artifact in Panderia. A powerful object that can produce strong warriors. The Alliance found it first but Garrosh used my people in Dalaran to steal it. And you know what happened next." Explained Lor'themar. Chief nodded.

"Will this artifact change the tide of the war?" Asked Chief.

"It'll certainly give the Horde a boost. That I have no doubt. But that's not all, I've heard of even more powerful artifacts within Panderia, locked away by the people there." Said Lor'themar. "Because of those, and the natural resources in the land, both sides have relegated most of their forces there, leaving only token forces to protect our cities."

"A perfect time to sabotage Garrosh's Horde." Said Chief. Lor'themar nodded.

"Precisely." Said Lor'themar. "So, on the off chance that one of Garrosh's loyal subordinates is ripe to be taken out by an assassin, and I just so happened to know their location, I'll let you know and have my men turn a blind eye to it." Chief nodded at that.

"I'll have my men give you a way to communicate with us." Said Chief. "Any restrictions on this?"

"Yes. Do try to not kill my people. If I hear that even one of my people died by your hands, this "deal" of ours is off. Do you hear me?" Asked Lor'themar as he glared at Chief. Respecting Lor'themar's protectiveness to his people, Chief nodded.

"I understand. I'll make sure we'll be extra careful around your people." Said Chief before taking off. After wishing Lor'themar good luck, Chief got onboard his ship, which then took off, leaving Lor'themar alone with his guards. Once the ship was gone, one of his guards looked at his regent lord.

"Are you sure that was wise, sir? Our people will suffer a great deal when Garrosh finds this out." Said the guard.

"True, but if that monster continues to rule, the entire Horde will suffer." Said Lor'themar. "I just know it." With that, Lor'themar left, hoping that he didn't make a mistake.

**Few weeks later**

**Chief**

**Broken Isles**

"God damnit, Chief, you couldn't handle this yourself!?" Asked Courier as he and Jack prepared to snipe a high value Orc commander that Lor'themar tipped them off. The Orc was riding back to Orgrimmar on a large wolf, escorted by several guards.

The Orc supported Garrosh fervently and was responsible for transporting material from Panderia to Orgrimmar and Orgrimmar only, thus Lor'themar had requested them to take him out. That and because the Orc was responsible for getting some of his people and many others from the other Horde races killed in a botched-up attack against the Night elves that could have been avoided if he didn't decide to initiate a stupid charge against the Night elves fortified position.

Chief was about to take the mission himself, but then he received a priority alert from his ally in the Broken Isles, thus forcing him to leave this to Courier and Jack.

"I'm sorry, but he explicitly asked for me." Said Chief. The fact that Kel'danath asked for only his help was concerning to Chief. Since meeting him, Team Sigma had visited the man, helping him in his research by either getting rid of some pests in the manor he was hiding in or just striking up conversation with him.

Although he detested Ikit, especially after the rat nearly him upon seeing Kel'danath for the first time, he liked the others. High Elf especially as her attitude and stubbornness reminded him of his own childhood.

So, the fact that he asked only for Chief left the Spartan wondering what was going on.

"I'll try to make this quick." Said Chief as he made his way to Kel'danath's mansion.

"Don't. Take your time." Said Courier as he prepared his sniper rifle. Both Jack and him fond a ridge that gave them a perfect sniping position to take out the Orc from afar. "We got this. I'm just yanking your chain. By the way, what does Kel'danath want anyway? Is he close to the cure?"

"Possibly or he needs my help specifically." Said Chief.

"Whatever it is, good luck. You might need it." Said Courier before cutting comms. His target was in sight and he needed to focus.

Chief acknowledged the wish of luck before venturing deep inside the manor. Upon venturing in the manor, he found Kel'danath stroking his chin and muttering to himself.

"Kel'danath?" Asked Chief, looking at the Nightborne.

Upon hearing his name, Kel'danath looked at Chief.

"Ah, you arrived! That's good." Said Kel'danath before motioning Chief to come closer. "I finally made a breakthrough! Good thing too as I'm low on Arcwine."

"You found a cure?" Asked Chief.

"Yes, I believe so!" Said Kel'danath, unable to hide his happiness. He then looked at the docile test subject from their last meeting. "Theryn here as been instrumental in my research in finding a cure."

"How?" Asked Chief, curious how this Withered helped Kel'danath.

"It was so simple." Said Kel'danath, scolding himself for not figuring it out sooner. "I was so distracted with Theryn's biology that I neglected to check his memories. While there wasn't much left, his mind is too far gone, I did see something interesting. You see, sometime in his life, he encountered a seed. A seed of great power. It, somehow, managed to calm him. If we can find this seed, study it, perhaps we can apply this to all Withered, maybe even find a cure to the Nightborne's addiction."

"And that's why you asked for my help?" Asked Chief. Upon seeing him nod, Chief asked another question. "But why just me? Why not the others?"

"Well, I'm certainly not trusting that power hungry rat of yours with this knowledge." Said Kel'danath, speaking about Ikit. "High elf, strange name I might add, is too inexperienced with the most dangerous parts of this forest. And I know of your little war with this Horde. I know you need everyone on deck for that." Chief nodded at that.

"We could have spared time for you. This is important for us too." Said Chief.

"Because of what the Nightborne can give to you." Reminded Kel'danath. Shaking his head, Chief was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something. Theryn then hissed as he looked around. Upon seeing this, Kel'danath slowly reached for a makeshift blade he made during his time in exile.

Once he grabbed it, Chief brought out his assault rifle and began opening fire at the ceiling. Within a few seconds, a spider came crashing down on top of some notes on a table, destroying the table as it crashed into it.

"My word." Gasped Kel'danath as he saw the corpse. It wasn't an ordinary spider. While the lower half of the body was a spider, the upper half was the body of a Nightborne that has become withered. Kel'danath can tell with the skin pigment. "How did this happen?"

"Is it a Withered?" Asked Chief as he eyed their perimeter, keeping an eye out for more of those abominations.

"Yes, but…this is nothing like the Withered I'm used to." Said Kel'danath as he examined the corpse. "As far as I'm aware, this type of thing isn't normal for a Withered. They don't certainly get spider bodies."

"Someone experimented on them?" Asked Chief as he lowered his guard, finding that no one was around aside from him, Kel'danath, and Theryn.

"Its possible, but it had to be someone skilled in magic." Said Kel'danath as he lifted a spider leg. Nodding in agreement, Chief looked at Kel'danath.

"We need to move, some others like that thing might be on their way here and I doubt they'll be friendly." Said Chief.

"Agreed." Said Kel'danath before going over to Theryn and removing the wards that kept him in place. Upon seeing Theryn look at him, Kel'danath began to speak to the Withered. "Theryn, though a part of me doubts you can understand me, I need your help. Can you show me the location of that seed that gave you peace? Its important. Its for the survival of our species." Tilting his head, Theryn stared at Kel'danath a good while before walking out of the mansion.

"Good!" Said Kel'danath. "Come along, Spartan! The salvation of the Nightborne await!" As Kel'danath sprinted after Theryn, Chief spoke to Cortana as he followed them.

"Have a gunship on standby along with a Titan." Said Chief. "I may need them."

"You got it, Chief." Said Cortana before Chief cut the comms and caught up with Kel'danath, protecting him and Theryn.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Destins- Jaina will probably be very against them working with the Alliance and probably be against them being independent and them getting away with what they did, which probably will happen if they do a great enough deed for the Alliance that'll Varian will let them go.**

**Guest- Yes, she'll get a metal arm.**

**Hideki667- Then I recommend to stop reading any further cause I'm pretty sure I'm going to be butchering Chief's character in your eyes. And yes, it does feel forced that they're helping the Horde. I'll try to justify them helping them, but it'll probably be a weak explanation so I recommend to not read this story any further.**

* * *

**Broken Isles**

**Chief**

* * *

"This is the fifth time we've been attacked." Said Master Chief as he reloaded his rifle. "We must be getting close to what made Theryn the way he is."

"Agreed." Said Kel'danath as he examined the corpse of the spider-elf that Master Chief just killed. "These things are definitely Nightborne that have become Withered, but the mutations they have are beyond anything I have ever seen in my lifetime."

"Can they be cured?" Asked Chief as he looked at his motion tracker for more unknowns.

"No." Said Kel'danath as he shook his head. "Even from my most superficial of searches, I can determine that whatever mutated these Nightborne to these creatures is far beyond any cure we can find. Even if we restore their sanity, they'll stay like this permeantly."

Chief gave a grunt as they went deeper into the forest, Theryn leading the way. Initially, they were wandering idly in the forest, looking for the thing that made Theryn saner than the rest of the Withered. But after several hours, something made Theryn respond abruptly and soon the Withered was walking somewhere deeper into the forest. It was fortunate for Kel'danath and Chief that Theryn was walking so slow because more of those spider things that attacked them earlier showed up and tried to kill them. Fortunately, Chief was loaded with ammo and bullets and quickly dispatched them, conserving his bullets as best he can.

"Do you really believe what made Theryn the way he is can be made into a cure for the Nightborne?" Asked Chief as the two followed Theryn, the Withered walking with a purpose.

"I have hopes that I can use it to advance my research into finding a cure." Said Kel'danath. "Even I don't have such high hopes."

"And if it can't help you?" Asked Chief. Kel'danath sighed at that.

"Then I fear that there is truly no cure for the Withered and that the Nightborne will be utterly dependent on the Nightwell to survive." Chief hummed at that and was about to respond when Theryn suddenly wailed out. Looking at the Withered, the two saw a large decript building in a large clearing. Even from their position, they saw a large seed in the middle of the building, floating on top of a pedestal and protected by some sort of forcefield. The forcefield seemed to be powered by some towers that were emitting beams all over the place, one in particular aiming it beam to a stone slab that was connected to the pedestal the seed was on top off.

"My word." Said Kel'danath. "I feel such great power coming from that seed. I feel calm. I feel like there's nothing that can hurt me."

Chief simply nodded, feeling the power as well, but still kept on guard. For all he knew, this was a trap set up by someone, given the way the seed was placed in the way it was.

"Be on your guard." Said Chief as he followed Theryn. "This could be a trap."

"I know." Said Kel'danath. "This seems too good to be true. Still, if this is what made Theryn what he is, then we must take that chance." Chief gave a grunt as they inched closer to the building, eventually entering it.

Now that they were closer, Kel'danath could feel the power from the seed even more. Its sheer power was enough to make him believe that it could cure his people of their addiction. The question was should they plant it or not?

As they inched closer, Chief suddenly raised his fist up in the air and telling everyone to stop. Kel'danath responded, trusting him, but Theryn didn't, too entranced with the seed to listen. When he saw Kel'danath look at him, Chief silently used his other hand to tell him that something was behind them.

Nodding, Kel'danath readied himself for a fight. Just when Theryn touched the barrier protecting the seed, Chief's motion tracker flared up. Turning around, he was about to open fire when someone yelled out.

"Stop!" Yelled a male, hidden behind a stone wall. Turnign to the source of the voice, Chief spoke out.

"Who are you?" Demanded Chief as he aimed his rifle to the general location of the voice.

"I'll reveal myself if you promise not to attack me the moment you spot me." Said the voice. Turning to Kel'danath, Chief saw him nod. With that, he stood down but was ready to fight in a moment's notice.

"We swear not to attack you. Now reveal yourself." Said Kel'danath. With that, the voice revealed himself. It was a big male with green hair and blue glowing eyes. His clothing was simplistic, but practical in many ways.

Upon seeing him, Kel'danath widened his eyes in shock.

"He's a Nightelf." Said Kel'danath, eyeing the man's green hair and blue glowing eyes. His clothing was a bit simplistic and old, but his complexion and hair was enough for Kel'danath to see him as a Nightelf male, particular one that was one with nature. As Kel'danath looked at the Nightelf in fascination, Chief aimed his weapon at the Nightelf, suspicious of him.

"What are you doing here?" Demanded Chief as he aimed his assault rifle at the Nightelf's head.

"Protecting the arcan'dor seed." Said the Nightelf, eyeing at Theryn, who was eyeing the seed with curiosity, occasionally trying to touch it, only for the barrier to stop him from doing so. "This seed contains great power; I refuse to let it be taken for vile purposes."

"If that's the case then why not ambush us? Why reveal yourself?" Asked Chief, standing down, puzzled with the Nightelf's behavior if he was suppose to protect this seed.

"Because I have been watching you three for some time. Ever since you entered the forest." Said the Nightelf, looking at Theryn, who now just looked at the seed. "I heard how you two wanted to cure the Nightborne and Withered of their addiction. Of how the Nightborne need this Nightwell to survive." The Nightelf then began to walk closer to them. Chief tightened his hold on his rifle, but a hand from Kel'danath stopped him from going any further.

"I've seen these Withered coming from Suramar. I remember how it was a jewel in the Nightelf empire. And now, they're casting out their own citizens, allowing them to become mindless monsters." Said the Nightelf. Kel'danath wanted to protest, but the Nightelf continued. "I seen countless times Nightborne turning into Withered, seeing them lose their minds due to lack of Arcane energy. It saddened me. I pitied them. So, I provided a group of them an arcan'dor seed to survive." Upon hearing that, Kel'danath's ears perked up.

"Did it cure them? Or at least keep them from becoming Withered?" Asked Kel'danath, desperate that this seed was what he hoped it can be for his people. To his happiness, the Nightelf nodded.

"Yes. For a time, it sustained them, providing them with all the arcane energy they needed to survive with their minds intact." The Nightelf then sighed. "But that something happened. The tree that grew from the seed went unstable. We couldn't find the reason why until it exploded, turning all the Nightborne and Withered within its radius to become spiderlike creatures, called the fal'dorei. I believe you encountered them on your way here." Remembering the spiders, Chief nodded.

"Did you find the reason why?" Asked Chief. The Nightelf sighed in regret.

"I…believe so. Not that it matters." Explained the Nightelf. "I gave them a half solution to their problem and now they're hungry beasts that plagued this forest for ten thousand years. And I'm to be blamed for that." Feeling pity for the Nightelf, Kel'danath gave him his sympathies.

"I'm sorry." Said Kel'danath. "But I must implore you to give us this seed. It may be the only thing that can cure my people for their addiction and bring out people back from being Withered." The Nightelf sighed at that.

"You want me to, once again, doom a people with this seed?" Asked the Nightelf as he looked at the seed, unsure if he should give them the seed or not. "It may give you the cure you want, but if its not handled correctly, your people may end up like the fal'dorei, the people I failed to protect."

"My people are safe in Suramar. They'll be far away from the blast that engulfed the fal'dorei. I'll even do it far away from any lifeform if that is what it takes to make the cure for my people's addiction." Said Kel'danath. The Nightelf gave a scoff of respect before sighing.

"If you are willing to accept the consequences, then I'll give you the seed." Said the Nightelf. "However, before we begin, I must warn you the fel'dorei will come here. They've hungered for another arcan'dor seed and they know of the location of this one. The barrier is the only thing keeping them from it. Once its lowered, they'll come like locusts for it."

"How many are there?" Asked Chief, feeling a battle will come soon.

"I say somewhere between a hundred and a hundred and fifty." Said the Nightelf. "So, once the barrier is down, we need to take the seed and run." Chief gave a grunt before looking around their surroundings. Upon seeing just one entrance way, Chief looked at the Nightelf.

"Can you teleport it to safety?" Asked Chief.

"Hmm…if one of you are skilled in the art of teleportation, then yes, we can safely leave with the seed intact." Said the Nightelf. "The problem is the fal'dorei will come for it as soon as the barrier is lowered. Even if we teleport safely out of here, they'll be hot on our trail. The power of the arcan'dor seed will attract them to no end. How do you propose we stop them from overwhelming us and taking the seed?"

"We fly it out of this place and somewhere safe." Said Chief. The Nightelf widened his eyes at that. Before he could speak, Kel'danath spoke on behalf of Chief.

"My companion speaks the truth. He has a large flying machine that can safely take us out of the grasp of the fal'dorei. We can take it to a secured location where the fal'dorei can't reach us. That'll give us the time we need to find a way to stabilize the tree and save my people." Said Kel'danath. The Nightelf hummed at that.

"Hmm…if your flying…machine is capable of transporting the seed safely…yes that could work. We just need to buy enough time for the teleportation spell to finish." Said the Nightelf, deciding to trust them on this.

"Leave that to me." Said Chief before bringing out a grenade.

* * *

**Half an hour later**

* * *

"I'm done." Said Chief as he went back to Kel'danath and the Nightelf, who told him that his name Valewalker Farodin. The two elves looked at the entranceway and were impressed. Using a combination of his strange fruit-shaped objects, which he called grenades, and some strong vines nearby, the Spartan had created makeshift traps that, once tripped, will cause the grenades to go off. They were all placed in the entranceway, preventing anyone from coming inside, not without being blown up.

"It won't last long." Said Chief as he turned around and aimed his rifle at the entranceway. "You need to hurry."

"Don't worry. Just make sure your flying contraption is at the agreed upon location." Said Kel'danath before he and Farodin in releasing the barrier holding the arcan'dor seed, by moving some towers, directing their beams to different locations.

"Its there. The only question is, where do you want to go?" Asked Chief.

"I know of a place that far away from this place. One that the Withered seem to avoid. It's just a general location but its far away enough that we should be safe from these fal'dorei." Said Kel'danath as they moved the final tower into place. With that, the barrier began to dissipate. "Get ready." Already, he and Farodin were hearing the sounds of spider legs getting louder and louder. With that, Chief got ready for a fight as Kel'danath conducted a teleportation spell.

"Hold them off, Spartan." Said Farodin as he grabbed the arcan'dor seed. "We need just a little time for the teleportation spell to finish." Chief didn't reply as several fal'dorei appeared in his sights. Without even acknowledging, he opened fire, using controlled bursts to take them down.

The first group fell before Chief's disciplined fire, each having several bullets going through their craniums. But just as they fell, more came, this time having some launching magic spells at them.

"Mages?!" Yelled Farodin as he clutched the arcan'dor seed. Theryn nearby looking at the seed with curiosity. "They have mages!?"

"You didn't know?" Asked Kel'danath as he conducted the spell. Just a little more time.

"I thought they were all bereft of magic when their tree exploded." Said Farodin. Chief didn't comply. Instead he just opened fire calmly at the fal'dorei, focusing on the ones conducting magic first as they were the biggest threat to them. Just as he fell down the last mage, several spiders managed to get inside, only to trip Chief's traps, blowing themselves up.

"Traps are nearly gone." Said Chief as he reloaded. "Need to get out of here." Just as he said that, he saw a massive fal'dorei, almost the size of a titan, coming right at them with more spiders.

"Almost…got it!" Yelled Kel'danath before teleporting everyone out of there, including Theryn. Just in time two as the giant spider burst through the entranceway, breaking stone and rock to get the arcan'dor seed. Upon seeing that they teleported out of harms way, the giant spider roared out in anger.

* * *

**A minute later**

**Kel'danath's mansion**

* * *

"We're here." Said Kel'danath as they all teleported out of harms way and back to Kel'danath's mansion. "Is the seed safe?"

"It is indeed." Said Farodin as he kept Theryn from drooling all over the seed.

"We're fine." Said Chief as he looked up, seeing a Pelican, a gunship variant, above them along with a Widow transport ship. In the Widow transport ship were two Legion class titans, conducting sweeps of their perimeter to ensure that no fal'dorei were nearby to take the seed for themselves. "Come on, let's go to this safe location." With that, Chief walked to the Pelican dropship, which was floating down to pick Chief and the others up.

"My word." Said Farodin as he looked at the Pelican and Widow transport and titan machines with widened eyes. "I've never seen such complex machinery before."

"Yes.' Said Kel'danath, remembering that the Nightelf empire had never created flying machines during its long reign, mostly because their access to magic made such things irrelevant. Suramar had robotic forces, but they had a sense of elegance with them, like all elven-designed objects. These seem like they were built for war with no sense of elegance to them. "Come. This may be…enlightening."

Farodin simply shrugged at that before carrying the arcan'dor seed to the now landed Pelican with Theryn following, keeping his eyes on the seed.

* * *

**An hour later**

* * *

"Will this do?" Asked Chief as he looked from the troop bay of the Pelican, which was being piloted by Cortana back at Torrington. Beneath them was a large lake near a massive cave entrance.

"Yes, it should do just fine." Said Kel'danath. "Its far away from the fal'dorei enough that they won't intrude on us. Plus, the cave can be a great defensive position if you left those large machines with us."

"That's the plan." Said Chief. "I'm leaving those titans with you three along with two squads of spectres. They're dumb and don't have much in the way of tactics, but they should guard you well enough."

"Thank you. You're a good ally to the Nightborne." Said Kel'danath. "If this arcan'dor tree can provide the cure to my people's addiction, then I'll make sure you'll be remembered by the Nightborne for eons to come."

"I don't need praise." Said Chief. "Like you said before, I'm just doing this because it's in the best interest for my group to do so."

"Yes I know." Said Kel'danath. "But still, even if it's for selfish reasons, I can't help but be grateful for your help." Chief simply acknowledged with a nod before ordering the Pelican to land along with the Widow. Once they landed, everyone, including the titans and spectres from their Widow transports. Although Farodin looked uncomfortable at seeing these machines, they're ability to walk and move as an organic being was unnatural to him, he kept it to himself as they neared them.

"Spectres, titans." Said Chief. The machines stood at attention. "Keep them safe until me or another member of team Sigma says otherwise." He pointed at Kel'danath, Farodin, and Theryn.

"Acknowledged." Said a Legion titan with its deep voice. Chief then pointed to the cave.

"Go in and inspect the cave for any dangers. They'll be following you soon after. One squad of Spectres stay behind to offload supplies from the Widow transport." Said Chief. The machines, having their orders, went into the cave or the Widow. With them gone, Chief looked at the three elves.

"I would stay and help secure this place, but I need to go." Said Chief. While they were on their way here, Chief received a transmission from High Elf Archer. She told him that he was needed at Pandaria. Lor'themar requested it. "I'll leave enough food, ammo, and medical supplies for you guys to last a good while. If you need anything else or if you need me to be here in the flesh, you know how to contact me."

"We understand." Said Kel'danath. "Good luck in your little war." Chief nodded before getting back inside the Pelican and taking off with the Widow transport.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Pandaria**

* * *

"Still don't see why you need all of us here?" Asked High Elf Archer as she looked at Lor'themar, who was rubbing his neck in worry.

"Trust me. If you knew what Garrosh found, you would understand why I called you all." Said Lor'themar.

"Even worse-worse than when Jaina Proudmoore got more power from this thunder king?" Asked Ikit as he looked at Lor'themar with his green eyes.

"Oh you'll wish even more people had her power now, my ugly friend. You'll wish." Said Lor'themar.

"Why though?" Asked High Elf Archer, narrowing her eyes. "What did Garrosh find?" Lor'themar sighed, knowing he had to tell her.

"Its something ancient. Something so evil and powerful that, if he finds a way to harvest its power, we're all going to die." Said Lor'themar, causing High Elf and Ikit to look at each other in concern.

"What is this power?" Asked Ikit, both out of concern and greed. Lor'themar then explained to them what his spies told him of what Garrosh found.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Bottom of the ocean**

* * *

In the depths of Azeroth's oceans, an ancient entity sensed the faint power of another ancient being. One just as ancient as it was. It was weak, barely recognizable to the power it once held. But still, even a fraction of this ancient being was worth the lives of many.

A dark eye then opened, lighting up the depth in orange.

"**Azshara. Gather your forces. The heart of Y'Shaarj has been discovered." **Said the eye. With this announcement, the depths surged in activity as various deep-sea creatures began to stir. The eye then began to direct them to the waters of Pandaria, eager to gain the heart of its deceased…"compatriot".


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**MEleeSmasher- After some deliberation, you are correct and I rewritten those anti-Alliance chapter to be…less bashing and for Chief to be less aggressive.**

**2/10/2020- Rewritten due to criticism.**

**Garrosh**

**Pandaria**

"Move forward!" Yelled the current Warchief of the Horde, Garrosh Hellscream, as he led his convoy deep into Pandaren lands. Some of the lesser races, aka non-Orcs, grumbled at that, but nonetheless did what they were told, in fear of the repercussion for not following his orders.

Satisfied for now that his soldiers will follow his orders at the moment, Garrosh led the convoy to the heart of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, where the Shado-Pan were desperately trying to stop him from using the pools of the Vale to revitalize the heart of the Old God Y'Shaarj. If he succeeded, then Azeroth will once again be threatened by the Old Gods. At least spiritually.

To those that know of the Old Gods and their power, using the powers of the Old Gods was a fool's errand. Even though Y'Shaarj was dead, his heart was still powerful enough to corrupt and use lesser minded people to its advantage, even with its weakened state.

But Garrosh, whether through stupidity, arrogance, or a combination of the two, was confident he can use the power for his own gain, which was to have Orcs as the dominant race on Azeroth with the rest of the races either extinct or be subservient to the superior race, and not the gains of a long dead Old God.

Garrosh growled as he and his convoy arrived to the heart of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. To his annoyance, there were still Shado-Pan fighting his Horde soldiers. Much as Garrosh despised the other races, he couldn't deny that they had some strong warriors. If only some of them were Orcs, his Horde, not Thrall's mockery, would be unstoppable. But enough of that now, the superior race was here and it was time for these Pandaren to witness the superiority of the Orcs.

With a roar, he charged at what few Shado-Pan Pandaren were in his way to acquire ultimate power. Exhausted from fighting his vanguard, the Pandaren could do little as Hellscream cut them all down with his father's weapon, Gorehowl, cutting them all in half or in chunks with his immense strength.

After beheading the last Pandaren, he ordered what free troops he had to lower the bridge. With no objections, a group of Horde soldiers lowered a drawbridge that they brought with them, allowing Garrosh to access the magical pools of the Eternal Blossoms. When they saw this, some Shado-Pan tried to stop them, only to be cut down by Garrosh's soldiers.

With no one to imped their progress, the drawbridge lowered, allowing Garrosh access to the pools that he needed to complete his quest.

Upon taking the first steps, however, a cloud of black smoke appeared before him. Once it dissipated, a Pandaren dressed in black and red clothing took the clouds place. Garrosh knew this Pandaren. This Pandaren was Taran Zhu, leader of the Shado-Pan.

"Enough with your desecrations, Hellscream." Said Taran Zhu. Despite the calmness in his voice, Garrosh can sense the rage and anger that Taran Zhu had for him. For all he's done to his land. "You've been allowed to run rampart for far too long, but all that ends today." Laughing at Taran and his attempt to stop him, Garrosh decided to be merciful.

"Step aside, Pandaren. You face a force beyond reckoning." Said Garrosh, completely confident in the Horde's ability to conquer the world, despite it currently facing a rebellion within its ranks. A rebellion that will soon be squashed. Staying calm, Taran Zhu touched his hat before speaking.

"Your father also dabbled with forces beyond reckoning." Taran Zhu then looked at Garrosh with an expressionless face. "Where is he now?"

Enraged for Taran Zhu mentioning his father as well as mocking him, Garrosh let out a scream of rage before charging at Taran Zhu. Anticipating this, Taran Zhu dodged all of Garrosh's rage filled attacks. After the fifth had Gorehowl stuck in the wooden bridge for a moment, Taran Zhu swung his mace at Garrosh, who caught it mid swing. With Taran's weapon caught, Garrosh tried to headbutt him, but Taran Zhu gathered spiritual energy and pushed him back.

Undeterred by this, Garrosh charged again, this time knocking Taran Zhu out of the bridge and straight into the water surrounding the pools of Eternal Blossoms.

Yet, Taran Zhu jumped back at this literally. With only his toes touching the water, he jumped straight back at Hellscream and upper-cutted him, disorientating Garrosh for a moment. With his opponent confused, Taran Zhu punched and kicked Hellscream with all he had.

"I've fought side by side with the Trolls. The Tauren. And even your Forsaken!" Yelled Taran Zhu as he kept his assault, ignoring the pain in his body as he did so. Much as it pained Taran Zhu to admit, he was still heavily injured from his time at the Thunder Palace, so he wasn't at one hundred percent. Yet, even still he was putting up a fight. "They all have the true values of your Horde! And you lack those values!" Taran Zhu then tried another punch, but Garrosh caught it.

Yelling out in rage, Garrosh headbutted Taran Zhu so hard that his nose broke and blood spilled everywhere. Not done yet, Garrosh grabbed Taran Zhu by the neck and tossed him into the air while he was disoriented. As Taran Zhu fell to the ground, Garrosh brought up Gorehowl and impaled Taran Zhu with it.

Coughing up blood, Taran Zhu looked at Garrosh, realizing he lost.

"Everyone will hear of this recent transgression." Said Taran Zhu, still holding on. "They will all come for your head." Laughing at Taran Zhu's attempt to scare him, Garrosh tossed him forward, toward the main pool of magical water that Garrosh needed for his plans.

"I'm counting on that, Pandaren." Said Garrosh, eager to have more bloodshed. "And when they come, they'll all die. By my true Horde. And with this." Garrosh then looked at the massive chest, which was hauled towards him after the fight, that contained his trump card. Opening it, Garrosh revealed the heart of Y'Shaarj. Upon seeing it, Taran Zhu can feel the power and darkness emitting from the heart. It was faint, but it felt so similar to the Sha, manifestations of negative emotions. Widening his eyes at what Garrosh intends to do, Taran Zhu tried to get up, but failed.

"If you do this Hellscream, the world will be destroyed long before you can rule it." Said Taran Zhu, silently hopping that Hellscream wasn't doing what he thought he was doing. In response, Garrosh laughed.

"You underestimate my will, welp. This heart will submit to me. Just as the entire world will!" With that Garrosh pushed the chest into the main well, submersing the heart of the Old God with the magical properties of the Eternal Blossoms. Almost immediately, the pools shot out black and white energy, flooding the entire valley with dark energy. As it did so, Garrosh laughed out in satisfaction as the heart of Y'Shaarj was being restored.

**Chief**

**Pelican**

Master Chief was currently piloting a Pelican dropship to the land known as Pandaria when he saw a massive black and white pillar shot out from Pandaria. Shocked, Chief asked Cortana what was that and if the others were alright.

"I don't know Chief, but you better get there quick. That one-eyed elf said its urgent and he isn't the joking type." Said Cortana, fully serious and trying to figure out what that was. "I'll try to figure it out. You just get there and help those furry pandas out." Nodding, Chief stepped on the gas and flew even faster to Pandaria, not caring if he was spotted or not.

**Lor'themar and Team Sigma**

"Oh no, that madman actually did it!" Yelled Lor'themar as he widened his one eye in shock at seeing a massive black and white pillar shot out from deep within Pandaria. Team Sigma, meanwhile, looked on in horror and shock as the pillar continued to get even higher. Even Ikit was slightly afraid for what was to come now that this Old God had returned, at least partially.

"Well, shit. We got a lot of work to do. Mainly killing a giant monster that came straight out of Lovecraftian novels." Said Jack as everyone looked at the pillar, scared of what was to come.

**Alliance main base**

"What is going on!?" Demanded Varian as he saw the black and white pillar from the Alliance base in Pandaria. He had just arrived from visiting his wounded son, who had been injured in an attempt to stop Garrosh from using the bell he stole from Darnassus to create some super soldiers. They succeeded, but his son, Anduin Wrynn was injured in the attempt. Prophet Velen was currently healing Anduin his wounds at the moment. Although Velen claimed that Anduin will fully heal, Varian still worried for his son as any father would for his child.

Seeing Anduin so injured made Varian want to kill Garrosh, who was responsible for injuring his son so gravely. He already despised Garrosh for all the Alliance lives he's killed in this war, but now this was personal. He's going to kill Garrosh himself if he had to, which may actually happen as they've crossed paths a few times already in this war, with each conflict interrupted by one event or another, something that frustrated both leaders. One day, though, they'll be able to fight uncontested with each other and Varian will be able to finally rid the world of that Orc filth once and for all.

But for now, he had more pressing matter, like what the heck that black pillar in the sky was.

Looking over to an officer, Varian demanded if any of their outposts were under attack or if their spies were able to discern what was happening.

"We have nothing, sir. None of our outposts are being attacked by the Horde." Said the officer. "As for our spies, they have nothing. Even Shandris Feathermoon and her group haven't found anything, though we haven't been contacted them for some time." Varian was unhappy with that answer. Looking back at the pillar, Varian suspected that this was the Horde's doing and Garrosh was behind this.

"Ready our troops." Ordered Varian. "Even if the Horde is not responsible for this, we have to be ready for anything."

**Chief**

As Cortana landed the Pelican in Lor'themar's base, Chief waited in the cargo bay until it was safe enough for him to drop off from the ship. Once it was, Chief quickly got off the Pelican and landed on his feet in the middle of the camp. The Blood elves around him were shocked at how he landed so safely as well as the large flying machine in the air above them. Ignoring them, Chief went to Lor'themar, who was walking towards with him the rest of Chief's team.

"Its about time that your arrived, human." Said Lor'themar, looking at Master Chief with exasperation. "We have little time, so I'll make this brief. Garrosh has uncovered an artifact of terrible power and influence. One that can bring the destruction of Azeroth." Saying nothing, Chief looked at his team, who nodded.

"To make a long story short, big dumb Orc uncovered a piece of some ancient deity." Said High Elf Archer, hiding just how scared she was with what Garrosh uncovered. "If said piece gets more power, he could use it to rule the world in his image. That's all we can give without giving Garrosh more time to escape. So let's go and kill him before he could use it to his own ends!"

Still kept in the dark, Chief nonetheless agreed with them. If this piece was as powerful as High Elf claimed it was, then they needed to kill Garrosh before he could use this piece.

"Where is he heading?" Asked Chief, looking at Lor'themar.

"Now that he's powered the artifact, he's going to Orgrimmar. That means he's going to our docks. That would be your best time to strike and take out both the artifact and Garrosh as well." Said Lor'themar. "I'm evacuating my people from the docks, so they won't get caught in the crossfire. I would tell the others, but I can't risk Garrosh finding out what really is going on."

"So, you're going to let the other Horde races there to die?" Asked Jack. Although he knew that they needed to stop Garrosh, it felt wrong to kill a bunch of people that disagreed with Garrosh and his antics simply because they were caught in the crossfire.

"I have no choice." Said Lor'themar as he held his head with one hand. "If I tell my people to warn the others to leave the docks, Garrosh will be suspicious. He might even use the artifact if he deems it necessary. Besides, you don't need to take out the entire docks. Just Garrosh and his dark prize."

"Agreed." Said Chief. "A simple fighter can launch a precision strike on Garrosh and his prize. Even if it can't kill this artifact, we can still kill Garrosh with a missile."

"So, we just wait until he's there and fire a missile on him?" Asked High Elf Archer, knowing the power of the missiles they had.

"Yes, we just need to confirm he's there." Said Chief. "After that, a missile is sent and Garrosh dies. A few may be caught in the blast, but they'll be necessary if we can stop that Orc." Lor'themar sighed at that, knowing that Chief was right.

"Alright, do what you have to do to stop Garrosh." Said Lor'themar. "I'll see to fixing the mess that he made."

"Once he's dead or deposed, who's going to be your leader after this?" Asked Courier before Lor'themar could leave. Sighing again, Lor'themar spoke.

"To be frank, I have no idea. Could be Sylvanas. Could be Baine. Could even be me. All I know is, it'll be up to all the remaining Horde leaders to decide who will be Warchief after Garrosh dies." Explained Lor'themar.

"So, they could continue the war if they so want?" Asked High Elf. Lor'themar nodded. "Great. Just great."

"Who wants peace and who wants war?" Asked Courier, wanting to know their chances of this war continuing.

"From the top of my head, only Sylvanas would want a continuation of the war. She hates the Alliance and see them as a threat to her Forsaken, but other than her, I can't really see the other leaders wanting a continuation of the war. Maybe Saurfang, but he hates what Garrosh has done to the Horde."

"So we just need to stop Sylvanas from taking command." Said Chief. Lor'themar, however, shook his head.

"I doubt it. While a capable commander, Sylvanas isn't well liked by the other Horde leaders, only tolerated. I sincerely doubt that they'll fought her in place of Garrosh, especially if there is a chance of peace between us and the Alliance."

"So, we just need to convince the Alliance to extend an offer of a ceasefire and the war will end?" Asked Jack.

"Most likely." Said Lor'themar, putting a hand on his chin. "But it'll have to be a reasonable one. Though I can understand the Alliance's wants for reparation, especially since we technically started the war, it'll have to be lenient. Otherwise, the others will push for war. Baine will protest, but its just him and mine." Everyone sighed at that.

"Any way to convince them to offer a fair ceasefire and treaty then?" Asked Jack, looking at everyone. Lor'themar just shook his head sadly, not knowing what they could do. Chief looked at Courier and High elf. Out of them all, they were the best situated in figuring out what to do in this situation as they both have the most experience in politics.

"Well, I don't know if this will work, but what if we let them know of the rebellion. There is a Horde rebellion, right?" Asked High Elf Archer. Lor'themar nodded.

"Yes, my spies have informed me of it. Vol'jin is building a strong rebellion from Horde traditionalists. He wants to depose Garrosh and return the Horde to what it once was." Said Lor'themar, hoping that Vol'jin will succeed in his endeavors. Garrosh has been Horde leader for far too long.

"So, maybe by telling them about the rebellion and offering them a sort of military alliance, they'll see that not everyone in the Horde is bad. Offer to take the brunt of the fighting in exchange for more lenient terms." Said High Elf Archer. Lor'themar contemplated at that.

"That…could work." Said Lor'themar in thought. "But we don't have a representative of the rebellion to make such a thing. Plus, the time it would take to contact the rebellion and inform them of this idea, will take too long. By the time we got a responsive, the Alliance would have besieged Orgrimmar."

"Not really. You can make the offer." Said Courier. Lor'themar widened his eye and looked at Courier. "Look, I know that you don't want to take risks unless it benefits your people, but sometimes you need to take risks in order to gain greater rewards. And this is one of those times. Trust us Lor'themar. This can work."

"Actually, it has a seventy percent chance of working." Whispered Cortana to Chief as Courier continued his speech to Lor'themar. "It'll increase to eighty-five if the Alliance sees the rebellion fighting against Garrosh's forces."

"Will this Vol'jin be alright with this?" Asked Chief. "Sending his people to die." 

"Well, considering what we know of Troll's and their way of life, he'll probably be fine with it. If anything, he'll want his rebellion in the thick of it, to show the world that the true Horde isn't Garrosh's Horde." Explained Cortana. Chief hummed at that before looking at Lor'themar sighing.

"Well, alright. Can't believe I'm doing this, but I'll send word to Baine and Vol'jin. They can expect the Blood elves to side with them in their rebellion. I'll also be telling them of the offer I gave to the Alliance. They'll be fine with us taking the brunt of the fighting, but you'll need to return back to me so we can discuss an attack on Orgrimmar. You're help will be invaluable in limiting our casualties."

"You'll have it if you do your best in ending this war, Lor'themar." Said Chief, looking at Lor'themar.

"Don't worry of that, I want this war to end as much as you all. Especially if Garrosh has a piece of an Old God." Said Lor'themar before motioning them to leave, which they did, running toward the Pelican that brought Chief.

"So, uh, what are we going to do once this war ends? I'm not going to side with either faction." Said High Elf as the Pelican took off. "I come from a different world and my people have nothing to do with either the Horde and Alliance."

"Same." Said Jack. "Though I'm inclined to the Alliance, I'm a Militia man first and foremost."

"Skaven Empire!" Yelled Ikit as he giggled to himself madly.

"Talk after this?" Asked Courier as he watched Chief get in the cockpit.

"Indeed." Said Chief, knowing that they'll have to discuss about their allegiance further. But for now, they got an Orc to stop.

"Tell me about this artifact that Garrosh uncovered." Said Chief, needing all the information they had so he could come up with a battle plan should their initial plan fail.

**Garrosh**

**Meanwhile**

"Load it up!" Yelled Garrosh impatiently as the heart of Y'Shaarj was being loaded onto his ship. Even from his position, at the base of the docks, he can feel the power of the heart as it pulsated strongly. Grinning, Garrosh imagined all the glory he can obtain with this heart. With it, he can finally realize his dream of a strong Horde that doesn't bow down to the Alliance nor make negotiations with them. The races of the Alliance will be his slaves and they'll finally acknowledge who was the better faction.

Once it was loaded up on his ship, he looked towards the overall commander of the Pandaria expedition, an Orc, just as how it should be.

"Keep fighting the Alliance." Said Garrosh. "Even with this great power, we should let them fear our strength without it." He then glared at his commander with a savage smile. "Make them bleed." The Orc commander nodded, swearing that he'll ensure that the Alliance will lose many lives in Pandaria before taking off. Chuckling in satisfaction, Garrosh was about to go to his ship when his warrior instincts went up.

Grabbing a nearby Blood elf, he raised them up to defend himself. Just in time too as a trio of arrows impacted his shield, hitting her in the forehead, throat, and chest. Growling in rage, Garrosh threw his makeshift shield down and looked to see a group of Nightelves coming out of the forest nearby. Wondering how so many elves managed to get here, this deep in his territory, Garrosh rallied his men.

"We have Alliance filth near our docks!" Yelled Garrosh, pointing at the Alliance forces charging at them under the cover of arrow fire, taking out a few of his men. "Kill them all!" With a roar, his Orcs charged at the Nightelves while the rest gathered their weapons and readied for battle.

Garrosh, meanwhile, was in the forefront of the charge. Seeing the charge coming at them, the Nightelves dispersed, causing the Orcs to spread out and fight the elves individually, something both sides were trained for.

Trying to slice an elf in two, Garrosh yelled out in frustration as his elf opponent gracefully dodged his strike before striking him with her sword. Blocking the elf's strikes with his axe, he then let out a massive scream.

True to his last name, his scream was like hell to those that heard it as with the case with the Nightelf as she held her ears in pain, dropping her sword to do so. Even still, it wasn't enough as she could still hear Garrosh's painful scream. Any longer and she would die.

Fortunately, that was not meant to be as Garrosh was suddenly kicked in throat by another Nightelf, who managed to endure Garrosh's scream long enough for her to kick him in the throat.

Having been kicked in the throat, Garrosh's free hand went up to his throat as he stopped screaming. Glaring at the one that hit him, he saw that it was another female Nightelf, dressed in the standard ranger outfit for Nightelf rangers, baring a helmet that covered her head.

Despite her looking like any other ranger, Garrosh recognized her as Shandris Feathermoon, the general of the Nightelf's Sentinel army and leader of the cadre of Sentinels called the Shadowleaves.

"Your insanity ends here!" Yelled Shandris as she drew her sword. "Do you have any idea what you're doing!? The powers of an Old God cannot be controlled by any mortal being! You'll doom Azeroth with your meddling!"

"I'm saving Azeroth!" Yelled Garrosh as he fully recovered and began to swing his axe towards Shandris, who led him away from her injured sister. "I'm saving the planet from the weak and foolish ways of the Alliance! You Alliance whelps protect the weak, nurture them, allow them to be parasites that weaken your races. If you were in the Horde, you would be expunged immediately! Only the strong have a place to live in this world! And only the Orcs are strong enough to do what is necessary for our survival!"

"Then you're a fool!" Yelled Shandris as she dodged an attack from Garrosh. "Tyrande had saved me from the demons that invaded this world so long ago, nurtured me when I was just a little girl and eventually became my mother. And now I'm the general for the Night Elf Sentinels. Even the weak can become strong, Orc! Something that you seem unable to understand!" Upon dodging another attack, she tried to slash at Garrosh's throat, only for the Orc to grab her and fling her like a ragdoll across the harbor, straight into an Orc that tried to bludgeon one of her sisters to death after he tackled her to the ground. Hitting the back of the Orc's head with her back, Shandris quickly recovered after landing on the ground. She then sliced the Orc's throat as he turned around before helping her sister up.

Before she could ask her sister if she was alright, their senses kicked in and the two immediately dodged as Garrosh charged at them, Gorehowl up in the air. Seeing that his eyes her on Shandris, the other Nightelf tried to attack Garrosh while he was distracted, only for Garrosh to swipe and take her head off, having sensed the elf behind him.

Growling, Shandris attempted to create some distance between her and Garrosh only for to grab her and slammed her to the ground. He then lifted her up and proceeded to slam her to the ground again before grabbing her throat and attempting to crush it.

Gasping for air, Shandris tried to keep calm as Garrosh squeezed her throat. Just before he was about to crush it, Shandris managed to lift the arm that held her sword and slashed Garrosh's left eye with it, destroying it. Yelling out in pain, Garrosh let go of Shandris's neck to hold his eye, trying to stem the blood that came gushing out, some of which landed on Shandris.

Ignoring the blood that landed on her, Shandris got up and shuffled away from Garrosh as he recovered, glaring at her in hatred.

"Coward!" Yelled Garrosh as he held Gorehowl with one hand while the other held his destroyed eye. "You dare attack me with such a cowardly attack!?"

"I dare!" Yelled Shandris as she got ready for another fight with the Warchief. "You have committed unspeakable horrors to the innocent and Azeroth itself! You don't deserve the honor you so crave! You deserve nothing but death!" With that, she readied herself for another go with Garrosh, who roared at her before charging, uncaring of his bleeding eye.

Before either could attack, however, they were interrupted by a loud screech that came from the sea. The screech was so loud that it caused everyone to stop and look at the ocean. To their shock, serpent like people were coming out of the ocean along with fish-like people and giant turtles.

Some of the serpent people were almost dragonlike with everything above the waist being like that of a dragon, roaring out in anger as they raised their weapons in the air, eager for blood, their tails swishing in the water as they charged. The others serpent people were more female like, with slender upper bodies and faces. Some of these had four arms and held staffs. Others had bows in their arms.

While many didn't know what these beings were, the Night elves knew and were in shock that the Naga, former Night elves, were here in Pandaria.

"**Why are the Naga here?"** Thought Shandris as she saw the offshoot of her species came at both Horde and Alliance forces and began hacking them apart.

While she was a soldier in the Nightelf army, she knew about the history of the Naga, how they came to be and how they were responsible for the fall of the Nightelf empire. Being the adopted daughter of Tyrande Whisperwind, she had to know such things.

The Naga, as said before, were former Night elves. Specifically, Highborne Night elves, the upper class of the ancient Night elf empire. Back then, in a better time, the Highborne were the reason why the Night elf empire fell. Their tampering with the Well of Eternity, a lake of limitless arcane energy and power, had caused the Burning legion, a numberless army of demons and corrupted races, to invade Azeroth ten thousand years ago. And though countless died to stop the Burning legion and to wipe their taint from Azeroth, they weren't completely wiped out. A 2nd invasion attempt by the Burning legion some time ago, proved that they were still strong and if they returned, then the forces of Azeroth might not prevail like the last two times, especially if the Alliance and Horde continue to fight one another.

As for the Highborne, those that were loyal to Azshara, the queen of the Night elf empire, had gathered in the great city of Zin-Azshari and so buried in the ocean when the Great Sundering occurred, a disastrous event that occurred when the Well of Eternity exploded when Malfurion Stormrage, her adopted father, severed the connection between the Legion, who were using the well to transport their forces from their realm to Azeroth, and Azeroth.

The consequences of that event were still in the minds of the Night elves that had fought in the war against the Burning legion as the event tore the continent Kalimdor apart, turning it into the landmasses it was today. Those Highborne that weren't in Zin-Azshari became the High Elves, exiled from their fellow Night elves because of what Azshara had done, who would later become the Blood elves in recent times.

And though many thought Azshara had died along with her loyal followers when Zin-Azshari sunk deep into the ocean, recent events had proven those thoughts to be wrong as it was revealed to all that Azshara had struck a pact with an Old God, an ancient deity that predated the Night elf empire. Of what little they knew of the Naga, Azshara had agreed to become a servant to the Old God in exchange for him to save her and her Highborne.

And since the Naga were real beings, everyone can guess correctly that the Old God had saved the Highborne, using his great power to transform them into the Naga, a people that very rarely come to the surface.

The only times they did so was because it benefitted them to do so or if their master had commanded it. One occasion was the Cataclysm, where they wrecked havoc on the southern Darkshores in Kalimdor with Azshara herself leading the attack.

Why they were here in Pandaria confused some, but Shandris believed that they were here for the Old God's heart.

"**Their master must want it."** Thought Shandris as she saw the Naga and their subservient slaves, the Mur'gul and dragon turtles, surround the ship that must have had the Old God's heart, furthering Shandris's belief that they're after the fallen Old God's heart.

Not wanting their master to have even more power, in fear of him being able to free himself from his bindings, she ordered her troops to regroup and stop the Naga. Upon hearing that, the surviving Night elves retreated from the Horde troops, uncaring that the Naga descended upon the exhausted and wounded Horde troops, cutting them down as a result. When most had regrouped Shandris ordered them to take the Naga afar, prioritizing their spellcasters.

Agreeing to her orders, her soldiers aimed their bows at the Naga and let loose volleys of arrows. The Naga, whose tough hides protected them from the arrows, roared or hissed as the arrows found small chicks in their hides. The leader, a female spellcaster, spoke in Night elf, pointing at the Night elf force.

Obeying their leader, some of the male Naga and their Mur'gul slaves charged at the Night elves, the fishlike Mur'gul leading the charge.

Letting loose another volley, the Mur'gul died in droves as arrow pierced their heads and entered their brains. But no matter how many died, more came from the sea to replace them. Eventually, the night elves had to retreat less they be overrun.

Just as they were about to leave, a massive tidal wave came up from the sea and began to swiftly come at everyone on the shores. Widening her eyes in shock, Shandris couldn't even speak before the tidal wave came upon everyone.

The Naga forces, who were used to the ocean floor, weren't affected by the slightest the sudden tidal wave, but the Horde and Alliance forces weren't, so they either drowned from the sudden water attack or were crushed by its immense pressure. When the wave died down, the Naga could see that a few survived, including Shandris and Garrosh Hellscream surprisingly.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity like this go to waste, the Naga quickly began to slaughter the weakened forces of the land, not caring about their personal honor. Honor meant little in war. To the Naga. all that mattered was winning.

As the Naga executed her forces, Shandris tried to get up, only for a Naga male, at least she thought it was male, to grab her by the throat and bring her up to it's face. Around it were several Mur'gul slaves, all looking at her with hunger in their eyes.

Glaring at Shandris, the Naga was about to tear her face off with its powerful mouth when it suddenly stopped. Looking at the ocean, it bowed its head as something came out. That something turned out to be a Naga, larger than the ones before.

This Naga was a mix of dark and light blue that somehow complemented each other well. Her lower end was a mass of tentacles, swishing and writhing as they touched the wet sand of the docks. Her upper body had a bountiful chest, but Shandris didn't focus on that, she focused on the orange glow of this Naga's eyes. Though they were quite beautiful, within them Shandris could see evil and arrogance within them. The same arrogance that had destroyed the Night elf empire.

As the large Naga made its way to Shandris, the Naga holding her let go and bowed down to the approaching Naga. Though she had a chance to escape, Shandris knew that escape wouldn't be possible, not when there were so many Naga here. As she looked at the large Naga approaching her, the Night elf could sense that this Naga was, somehow, familiar to her. That she should know its name. As Shandris tried to rack her mind of who this Naga could be, the Naga in question touched her chin with one of its hands, forcing her to look at it.

"Well, well." Said the Naga as she looked at Shandris, speaking in a lovely, but filled with arrogance, tone. "If I'm not mistaken, and if my informants haven't been misled, you're the leader of the Night elf military. If only that helmet is gone so I can confirm." With that, one of the Naga's tentacles shoot out and grabbed Shandris's helmet, ripping it off her head, revealing her blue hair and light purple complexion. Upon seeing her features, the Naga with tentacles chuckles.

"Now I'm certain." Said the Naga as she smiled at Shandris, the smile promising much pain and suffering for her. "You're the adopted daughter of Malfurion Stormrage and that whore Tyrande. They both caused so much trouble for me in the past, both before and after the collapse of my empire." Upon hearing that, Shandris widened her eyes in shock. Now realizing who it was that she was facing. Upon seeing the shocked reaction, the Naga chuckled.

"It certainly took you awhile to figure out who I am." Said the Naga as she let go of Shandris and clutching the staff in one of its hands hard. "I may look far different to what I used to be, but I figured my prowess with the Arcane arts was enough for my former people to recognize me. Either they've gotten dumber or they wish to forget about me." The Naga smirked before tentacles grabbed Shandris by the throat and began to tighten their grip. Gasping, Shandris clawed at the tentacles as she was lifted off the ground.

"Just in case its both, I'll tell you my name." Said the Naga as she shuffled towards Shandris, who was struggling to break free of the Naga's hold on her. "Its Azshara, the queen of the now destroyed Night elf empire." Touching Shandris's face with one of her carefully manicured fingernails, that had been sharpened to be like claws, she swiped at her cheek, drawing blue blood. Inspecting the blood on her nails, Azshara was about to be done with Shandris and snap her neck when she heard a large roar.

"Release me!" Yelled Garrosh as he struggled to be free of the magical chains that bound him in place. Around him, were various Naga, all either without their heads or had them bashed in from headbutts. Intrigued, Azshara floated over to Garrosh, bringing Shandris with her. Chuckling as she stroked her chin, Azshara was somewhat amused as Garrosh struggled to attack her when he spotted her.

"This is the current war chief of the so-called Horde?" Asked Azshara mockingly as she looked at Garrosh's impressive, but to meaty for her tastes, figure. "An overweight, meathead that can't stop yelling?" She then looked at Shandris, seeing her go even paler due to the lack of Oxygen. Rolling her eyes, she mumbled about the new generation of Night elves being too soft before loosening her grip on Shandris's throat, allowing her to breath again. "How your Alliance haven't been able to defeat him is beyond me. Perhaps you're both weaker than I thought."

"The Horde is not weak!" Yelled Garrosh as he resumed his struggles to be free. "Release me and I'll show you who is the weakest here!" Placing both hands where her ears used to be, Azshara spoke again at Garrosh.

"Let's add loudmouth to that list of aliases about you." Said Azshara before, with a flick of her wrist, she placed an arcane construct over Garrosh's mouth, preventing him from speaking. As Garrosh tried to remove the construct, Azshara sighed. "I don't know why he wants you alive, the amount of damage that you already done should be enough for war between your fractions to continue, but he thinks you're still worth something, so I'll spare your pitiful existence. I'll even be generous and teleport you back to that dreadful place you call a home. What was it called? Orgrimbar or something?" As Garrosh glared at Azshara with untold hate, Azshara turned to her Naga spellcasters and instructed them to teleport Garrosh back Orgrimmar. They did so and teleported themselves and Garrosh away.

With the loudmouth away, Azshara turned to another Naga, a male.

"Find the heart of Y'Shaarj. Bring it to the depths of the ocean. Our master," She spat out the last word with disdain. "Will want it delivered to his doorsteps, to ensure it's not a fake. Anything you find, is yours to take." The Naga roared before slithering towards the Horde ship, where other Naga were already ransacking the ship for the heart. With all her objectives secured, Azshara looked at Shandris, who had finished recovering.

"Took you long enough." Said Azshara. "The new generation must be weak if it took this long to recover from a simple strangle." She then laughed. "Now, since I don't have any restrictions placed on you, I think its time for me to…cause some pain to Malfurion and Tyrande by stripping them of their beloved daughter." With that Azshara tightened her grip on Shandris's throat, doing so ever so slowly so as to give Shandris excruciating pain until she died. Smirking maliciously, Azshara reveled in Shandris's struggles as she fought a losing battle to survive.

Just as she had her fill and about to snap Shandris's neck, a loud crack peppered the air and soon, the tentacle that held Shandris was shot clean off from Azshara, who screamed in pain at the sudden attack.

Azshara then put up a shield as she looked around, wondering where that came from. She didn't have enough time to guess when suddenly a large flying machine in the shape of a bird came and began to open fire on her Naga, keeping just enough distance to prevent them from effectively casting spells on it, but not of Azshara. While it focused it fire on her Naga, Azshara readied a bolt of Arcane energy. When it was sufficiently charged, she released the shield and fired a bolt of Arcane energy at the flying machine. The bolt was so powerful that it tore off the wing that it hit, sending it flying away towards the inland. Without that wing, the flying machine went into an uncontrollable spin and soon crashed into the sandy beach.

Scoffing at the crashed flying machine, Azshara yelled at her remaining forces to retreat, to take the boat with them. With that order, every one of her forces quickly heading to the sea with Azshara casting a spell to take the boat with her. Glaring at the flying machine, she wondered to herself why her master wanted the ones responsible to keep breathing.

"**He better have a good reason."** Thought Azshara looking at her bleeding tentacle limp before submerging into the water, taking the boat with her.

"No." Said Shandris, her voice hoarse from the strangling that she endured from Azshara earlier, as she saw Azshara take the boat containing Y'Shaarj's heart. This was beyond bad. If the heart was restored to even a fraction of its power and another Old God used it to free itself, then Azeroth will face a being that it may not have any hope to defeat.

Getting up, she looked at the flying machine that saved her, shocked beyond belief at its firepower and how its so different from the Gnomes and Dwarves mechanical vehicles. As she was looking at the machine, she saw another, more humanoid machine, go straight towards the flying machine with, to her shock, an elf with green hair.

As she watched them go near the flying machine, she stepped forward, cautiously going towards them. Just because they fought Azshara, didn't mean they were friends with the Alliance. As she approached, she heard some sighs of relief thanks to her long ears.

"Thank god you're all okay." Said a feminine voice. "That magic was…"

"I know." Said a masculine voice, disoriented a bit from something. "I knew magic was powerful, but goddamn."

"You-you seen nothing!" Yelled another masculine voice, this one completely fine to understand. "This magic weak-weak to Skaven magic! You watch-watch!"

"Somehow I doubt that." Said a third masculine voice, whose voice was just as disoriented as the first. Before an argument could be started, a fourth masculine voice spoke, this was quick and to the point.

"Enough. We got company." Said the voice before revealing itself to the machine that Shandris had spotted before. With him was an elf, two humanoid beings in armor, and, to her surprise, a giant rat in armor.

Seeing them all, Shandris was on guard when the machine spoke.

"Its alright, we're friends." Said the machine, who was the tallest out of them all, as it raised its hands in the air, far from the weapons on its back and thighs.

"Yeah, what he said." Said the elf as looked at Shandris with curiosity befitting a child. "We're not going to harm you."

"Yeah some fools-fools want to join a side in this battle-war." Said the rat, growling to himself, looking at the corpses around them with hunger.

"Yeah, before my friend goes crazy, let's get you out of here. Horde forces are going to be here any seconds and I don't want to fight an entire army out in the open." Said the humanoid with a brown trench coat. His compatriots nodded in agreement before the machine man walked inside the ship. His companions, meanwhile, looked at Shandris.

"You can come with us, if you want." Said the last one with a glowing blue visor. "If you don't want to, I don't blame you, but it'd be better for us all if we work together. At least until we get you to Alliance grounds."

Upon hearing that, Shandris looked all around her, seeing the dead bodies of her sisters, the Horde, and Naga. She then looked at her unkempt appearance. Much as she wanted to deny their help, she knew that she needed them.

Her remaining arrows and bow along with her sword were lost when the tidal wave hit. And she suspected the same can be said for her sister's weapons as well. Unarmed and weakened, she stood no chance of surviving and warning Tyrande and the Alliance of what happened, of Azshara. So, much as she wanted to deny them, she agreed.

"Get me to an Alliance camp safely and you'll be friends with the Night elves." Said Shandris, knowing that it would be true. Tyrande cared deeply for her and she would be eternally grateful to those that saved her daughter from certain death.

"Done." Said the machine man as she left the flying machine. "We got to go. I set the engines to explode, leaving nothing for anyone to scavenge from it. But we got to go now, lest we get caught in the blast." With that, he urged everyone to run towards inland as quickly as possible. Not wasting time, everyone ran towards inland, trying to escape the blast. For a splint second, Shandris tripped and fell to the ground, but was quickly scooped up by the machine man and ran with her in her arms. Blushing a bit, Shandris was about to tell him that it was unnecessary when a massive explosion took her breath away, sending shockwaves toward them. The elf yelped as she was forced off her feet and to the ground. The rat laughed as he looked at the explosion, finding it pretty.

As the elf got back up, she ruffled her hair of dirt.

"Think we should leave quietly." Said the elf. "That was not quiet."

"Agreed." Said the man with a blue visor. "Stick to the trees and don't separate. We need to stick together if we want to survive." Everyone nodded as the machine man let go of Shandris and escorted everyone from the front, being as quiet as possible.

As she followed, Shandris wondered if she made a grave mistake trusting them.

**Meanwhile**

**Azshara**

In the deep ocean floor, Azshara was floating towards a massive facility. This facility was massive, even the tiniest of mechanism was the size of a human male. On pillars were chains that were all directed towards a deep abyss that the facility was above, keeping something contain.

Swimming to the stop of the facility, Azshara waited on the edges of the facility for her master. Waiting for a minute, Azshara was impatiently waiting for her master when a massive dark orange eye appeared for the deep abyss and several shadow tendrils began to move toward Azshara. Unimpressed, Azshara waited for the tendrils to form into a mass of shadows. Within that mass of shadows came a bright orange eye. Once it formed, Azshara spoke.

"I've acquired the heart of Y'Shaarj, for you master." Said Azshara before snapping her fingers and the heart of the Old God appeared next to her, pulsing with power. Upon seeing it, the eye spoke via telepathy.

"Eons ago, you were the most powerful of us." Said the eye as shadow tendrils went out of the mass of shadows and grasped the heart, pushing it towards the abyss, where more tendrils took it and dragged it deeper into the ocean. "Controlling what you wanted and forcing us to obey your will. Now, all that remains is but a piece of you. One that will secure my accession to power." Azshara, knowing what her master was speaking about, spoke.

"Now that you have your heart, N'Zoth, mind answering my question why you want those beings spare along with that headstrong Warchief? They're inconsequential to our plans. We can easily achieve our goals without them." Said Azshara. Turning it eye toward Azshara, the Old God spoke.

"Everything will be revealed in time. To reveal now will jeopardize our plans." Said N'Zoth. "Fret not, my queen. Everything will come into play and we shall rule Azeroth together." With that, the eye of N'Zoth faded away, leaving Azshara alone.

"Rule together?" Asked Azshara before scoffing. "I think not. I intend to rule alone." With that Azshara swam away, towards her underwater capital city. Unbeknownst to her, however, N'Zoth knew that Azshara intended to betray him, it's in her nature, and will be ready when she strikes her hand.

"All will be mine." Said N'Zoth before planning his next moves.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**R reyes- Well the idea was for Chief to tell Lor'themar that he's not going to keep helping if the Horde continued the war that Garrosh started. But after reading some books and playing the games, I guess that it was a bit too aggressive. So, I decided to remove that scene completely. Also, its not like Chief doesn't care about innocents. He clearly does in the books, its just that, in my opinion, he would obey orders that would see innocents die, albeit inadvertently, if they had a reason for it. He may not like them, but as a soldier, he would follow them.**

* * *

Shandris couldn't help but be amused as she saw her companions, the child elf and rat, bickering with each other. The elf was complaining how the rat smelled, something that she had to agree with, and the rat telling her that it would be a waste of water for him to take a bath.

"When we get back home, you're taking a bath. Even if I have to make you!" Yelled the elf as she pointed at the rat, who growled.

"Do-do, and you'll be kill-killed!" Yelled the rat as it pointed its cannon arm at the elf. The others, despite the danger, just ignored them and went on ahead, keeping an eye out for any beasts or Horde troops that may try to ambush them. Obviously, they were used to this sort of behavior from the two.

Twitching her ears in amusement, Shandris went up to, what she assumed, the leader, the one with dark green and black armor.

"You're willing to let this happen?" Asked Shandris as she walked next to him. Looking at his armor and the way he held himself, Shandris almost thought he was a machine, but the way he moved dispelled that notion.

"I tried to discipline them before, but they keep on arguing." Said Master Chief, hiding his disappointment with Ikit and High Elf Archer. Despite his best attempts, along with Courier and Jack, the two just couldn't help themselves. They just argued and argued with each other over the tiniest of things. If it weren't for the fact that, they kept their arguments to a minimum in combat scenarios, Chief would have forced them to stay at Torrington until they figured out how to get along. "Don't be fooled, when in battle, they got each other's back, along with ours." Shandris nodded at that.

"I know that feeling." Said Shandris, recalling several Night elves that hated the other races of the Alliance, finding them fools and naïve, but were willing to stand by them when a threat to them arose. She just wished the same could be said for the Horde and the Alliance, who constantly are at each other's throat, no matter how many threats they destroyed together.

Speaking of the Horde, she wondered how Garrosh is handling the loss of his prize. No doubt, he was cursing and killing some members of the Horde for his failures as well as swearing an oath of vengeance on Shandris for taking his eye, something that not even Varian had done during his fights with Garrosh.

With the loss of his prize, perhaps it was time to take the fight to Garrosh, straight to Orgrimmar. She heard rumors that there was a growing Horde rebel group that wanted to depose Garrosh and his ideals. The ones that believed in Thrall's horde and not Garrosh's version. If they were true, then the Alliance needed to make contact with them and fight with them.

If this rebel group is as large as the rumors say, then they needed to work with them. The Horde was always the weaker of the two superpowers. If they get even a 3rd of the Horde to fight with them, then this war would end with an Alliance victory. That is if they take or kill Garrosh and his line of succession. With them gone, Shandris believed that, more levelheaded, Horde leaders, like Lor'themar or Baine, will be put in charge and put an end to the war, something that many in the Alliance wanted.

Despite what many of their citizens thought, many Alliance leaders wanted peace. Even Varian wanted peace, albeit only to spare Stormwind and the Alliance from further death, not for any love for the Horde. The only ones that wanted to continue the war was Genn and Jaina.

Genn because Sylvanas Windrunner, the banshee queen, killed his son and attacked his city, killing many of his citizens. Jaina because of the loss of Theramore and the recent betrayal in the Kirin Tor.

Though she could understand and sympathize with both leaders, they can't let their hate to control their actions.

Fortunately, she knew that Genn, trusting Varian and Tyrande, will put his faith in their motions for peace as he owed both a debt for their help with his people and their struggles to contain the Worgen curse.

Jaina, however, would not be so easily dissuaded. The loss of Theramore and the betrayal from the Sunreavers were still sore subjects to her and it was clear to Shandris that they were influencing her stance on the Horde, far more than what most deemed healthy.

Having been at Theramore before its destruction, Shandris could understand Jaina's sorrow and hatred for the Horde, but the pain from both events are clouding her judgement far too much. It reminded her of Maiev Shadowsong and her obsession with killing Illidan Stormrage, a traitor to the Night elves. Though Illidan was gone, she remembered just how far Maiev went in bringing Illidan to justice, costing several elves their lives, which she just blamed on Illidan and not on her own judgement.

Shandris feared that Jaina was becoming another Maiev and that was something that she hoped would not come to pass. Though Jaina was just one leader, there was no telling what she would do if the Alliance pursued peace. Jaina needed healing and she hoped that either Tyrande or Varian's own son, Anduin, can heal Jaina from the darkness that was clouding her judgement before she did something that she'll regret.

Sighing in sadness, she looked at the leader and asked him his name.

"John-117." Said Chief as he continued walking. "How far is your encampment?" Blinking at his brisk way of speaking, Shandris spoke.

"Just a few more minutes. Don't worry about them attacking. Once they see me unharmed, they won't attack." Said Shandris.

"Good." Said Chief. "We need to talk with your leaders anyway. About an alliance with Horde rebels." Upon hearing that, Shandris widened her eyes in shock.

"So, the rumors are true. There is a rebellion in the Horde." Said Shandris as she contemplated how this will pan out in an Alliance meeting. "Are you members of the Horde?"

"No, we're an independent group that want this war to end." Said Chief. "But we are here on behalf of Lor'themar. He's unsure of allying with the rebels and he wants assurance from the Alliance that they'll support them. If they do, then he'll support them and call for an end to the war." Shandris's eyes glowed at that.

That was more than Shandris had hoped for. There was the chance that he was lying, but Shandris felt that wasn't the case. She didn't know much about Lor'themar, but she knew that he was a pragmatic leader that cared for his people more than the Horde and wanted what was best for them. And she doubted that both a war and leadership under Garrosh was best for them.

"Who else is rebelling?" Asked Shandris, curious who else is rebelling.

"Don't know about Sylvanas Windrunner, but Lor'themar knows that the rebellion is being led by a troll called Vol'jin and that its being supported by a Tauren named Baine. As for the goblin guy, he doesn't know." Said Courier as he walked up to Shandris. Humming, Shandris nodded as she thought of this development. Yes, that was beyond good. Even if the Goblin leader, whatever his name is, and Sylvanas didn't support the rebellion initially, they would throw their support once they learn they're working for the Alliance. Sylvanas despised the Alliance, but she'll work with them if it meant there was something to gain for the Forsaken. And the Goblins were cowards, once they see they were on the losing side, they'll side with the rebellion, making excuses for why they betrayed their allies. That left only the Orcs and other hardliners in the Horde, meaning the odds of victory will be well in favor of the Alliance and a quick end to the war as well. Something that was needed because of what the Naga had just done an hour ago.

Nodding her head, Shandris was about to speak when an arrow whizzed passed her head and embedded itself on the ground, just inches from Ikit's foot.

"Halt!" Yelled a Nightelf as she appeared from the trees along with a small group of other Night elves, all their bows aimed at Chief and his group.

Upon seeing this, Shandris yelled out.

"Desist!" Yelled Shandris as she put herself between Chief and a Night elf pointing her bow at him. Upon seeing Shandris, the Night elf widened her eyes in shock.

"Shandris Feathermoon! We feared the worst." Said the Night elf before lowering her bow along with her group.

"You should have." Said Shandris as she sighed. "Bring us to Tyrande and Varian. I bring both good and grave news." Blinking at that, the night elf nodded before escorting the group to an Alliance outpost where a portal was waiting for them.

"This will take you to the main Alliance base." Said the Nightelf that escorted them. "Tyrande is there along with Varian. They're coordinating the effort to remove the taint that Garrosh unleashed on Pandaria." Shandris nodded at that before turning to Sigma team.

"Let me go in first." Said Shandris. "I'll need to let them know that you're no threat to us. Once I did so, I'll come back and we'll explain the situation to them together." Chief and the group nodded at that before Shandris took off.

"Elf lady trying to trick trick us." Said Ikit, his paranoia showing. "Wants to take us and experiment on us. Want our secrets!"

"Calm down you paranoid rat." Said High Elf, shaking her head. "Its not going end up like that. Trust me."

"Trust elf-thing!? No-no! Elf-things not to be trusted!" Yelled Ikit as he panted, looking at the various Alliance races around them, some of them looking at the rat with curiosity and suspicion. "They trick-steal! Always trick-kill would be allies! That is their way-way." High elf sighed at that before looking at Chief and Courier, who were discussing on what to do after this war is over.

"So, we agree to just focus on doing Suramar and saving problems with pirates and thugs for both sides after this over?" Said Courier. "I don't think we should join either side." Chief nodded.

"Agreed." Said Chief, though he was inclined to working with the Alliance due to them having humans. His true allegiance, however, was to the UNSC and UEG. Same with Courier's allegiance being to the NCR and Jack with the Militia. And the Alliance was nothing like any of them. Both in ideals and government structure.

And once they find a way back, it was best that they be independent so that there won't be much baggage coming from the Alliance for their departure.

"So, just working independent?" Asked High Elf as she walked toward them. "Well, its not like I'm used to it. I heard that there some pirate cove harassing merchant ships. Want to take them down once this is over?" Courier and Chief nodded. Before they could talk more, however, Shandris appeared.

"They're ready to talk to you." Said Shandris with a hopeful tone in her voice. Chief nodded before everyone followed her into the portal.

* * *

**Alliance warcamp**

* * *

Varian was waiting patiently along with Tyrande and Jaina for Shandris and the group that saved her and carried a message for them from Lor'themar.

When Tyrande saw Shandris, she cried out and hugged her adoptive daughter, having feared for her life when she heard that Garrosh caused great anarchy on Pandaria with his recent stunt.

Though the good mood was gone when Shandris informed them that Azshara, the queen of the Naga, took the heart of Y'Shaarj and teleported Garrosh somewhere, likely Orgrimmar. Though the last thing was unimportant to Varian, the first one caused dread to fill his heart, along with everyone else.

Everyone in the room knew who Azshara served, who saved her and her Highborne from death. The old god N'Zoth. From ancient knowledge acquired from those that knew of the Old Gods, they discerned that N'Zoth was the most cunning of the four Old Gods on Azeroth, able to turn defeats into victories in the long term. If he took the heart of Y'Shaarj, then he was planning something. Something vile.

Tyrande wanted to focus their efforts on what N'Zoth is up to, but with the war with the Horde, they couldn't sacrifice any assets on figuring out what N'Zoth is up to. It doesn't also help that most of N'Zoth's assets are deep underwater, a type of terrain that no one in the Alliance can hope to adapt to.

Fortunately, Shandris also came with some good news. She told them that the rumors that the Horde has a growing rebel group were true and that they were ready to ally with the Alliance in order to depose Garrosh. His envoys were waiting in Pandaria via a portal.

Wanting to see these envoys, Varian ordered them be brought before them. As they waited, Jaina looked at Varian.

"You aren't really going to accept their proposal?" Asked Jaina incredulously. "Have you forgotten what they did in Dalaran? Theramore? The Horde isn't to be trusted."

"Not everyone in the Horde is the same as Garrosh and his followers. Besides, this is an opportunity for us to lessen our own casualties." Said Tyrande, looking at Jaina with weary eyes. Since Dalaran, Jaina had been calling for the blood of every single Horde warrior and for the Horde's dismantlement. She has been quite vocal in her new opinions of the Horde.

It hurt Tyrande that Jaina, who used to be the foil to Varian's rage and mistrust of the Horde, was know the exact opposite of what she used to be. The kind, naïve, and understanding mage was now gone, replaced by a warmonger, even if Jaina refused to see it.

"Or it's just a way for the Horde to let down our guard!" Yelled Jaina, glaring at Tyrande. "What if they're just doing this to learn of our battleplan so they can act accordingly. We'll lose more men than by not working with this so-called rebellion. If it were up to me, we'll send them in chains and attack Orgrimmar now." Tyrande sighed at Jaina's paranoia.

"Then we are fortunate you're not in charge." Said Tyrande, causing Jaina to glare at Tyrande. Before the two women could continue their argument, Varian stopped them.

"Enough!" Snapped Varian, his temper flaring. "Whether or not this is a plan to betray is, I'll hear them out. If its indeed a trap, we'll deal with it accordingly. If its legitimate, then we have a chance to both weaken the Horde and lessen our own casualties in this war." Jaina was about to protest, but a glare from Varian stopped her. A few minutes passed before Shandris arrived again with the Horde envoy.

The three leaders were surprised to see them. They expected the ambassadors to be Blood elves. Maybe some Tauren. But they weren't. If anything, they were nothing they saw before.

The most shocking was the giant rat encased in blue armor. They have heard of giant rats before, but never one where it walked on two legs and was able to be encased in armor. The rat was skittish, always twitching and moving its head on everything in the room, as if it was expecting a trap.

Another was a young elf, probably still an adolescent in elf years. Her grass-colored hair was a shock to them as no elf has ever had such a thing. Despite her young age, however, she still held herself in the lofty superiority and grace that befitted an elf. For some reason, Jaina thought she met this elf before.

The last three were armored, human-looking, beings that all wore intimidating armor. Their helmets showing no emotions. All in all, a strange bunch that none of them expected to be with the Horde.

Before any of the Alliance leaders could speak, Shandris spoke.

"These are the envoys, king Varian. They're here to speak on behalf of the Horde." Said Shandris before taking her place beside Tyrande. Once she did, Varian looked at the leader of the group, the big one in green armor and a gold visor. The two starred at each other for awhile, making everyone uncomfortable, before Varian gave a grunt of respect.

"You're here to speak for the Horde?" Asked Varian.

"Yes." Said the green armored warrior in a gruff voice, similar to Varians'. Short and to the point, something that Varian liked.

"Good. What exactly does Lor'themar offer?" Asked Varian, straight to the point.

"In exchange for lenient restrictions and reparations for the Horde after this war is over, the rebellion is willing to fight with the Alliance and take the brunt of the fighting in Horde territory, including an assault on Orgrimmar itself." Said the man. Varian pondered on that, wondering if such terms were acceptable.

"What is lenient?" Asked Varian.

"Raw resources and gold to the Alliance for the amount of death the Horde did." Said Chief. "As well as some restrictions on military assets. If you wish to discuss these further, then you'll need to contact Lor'themar and Vol'jin."

"Hmm." Said Varian as he pondered on this further. Allowed restrictions on Horde military assets, albeit limited, and raw resources to replenish the Alliance treasury. It seemed too good to be true, but one look from the green-armored warrior convinced him that he was telling the truth. For some reason, Varian could sense that he was telling the truth. Or at least what knowledge that Lor'themar departed with him and his group.

As Varian pondered, Tyrande looked at Jaina, resisting the urge to roll her eyes when she saw Jaina glare at the Horde envoys with suspicion. Once this war was over, she needed to talk to her, try to heal the damage to her heart from the damage caused by Garrosh and his extremists.

Taking her eyes off of Jaina, she looked at the rat and elf, glaring at each other and mocking each other. The rat placed its metal claws besides its head, imitating elf ears, and flapped them around while moving its jaw up and down. Whatever it was doing was clearly insulting as the Elf grew red with rage before saying something that caused the rat to laugh quietly. Eventually their argument was stopped by two of the armored beings, specifically the ones with red eye lenses or blue visor, who slapped both up them on the back of the head for their actions. That caused a glare from the rat and elf, but the two didn't care, focusing back on Varian, who finished pondering.

"That seems a bit too good to feel genuine." Said Varian. "Is the Horde truly willing to impart such restrictions on themselves?" Chief, completely getting where Varian is getting at, nodded.

"Lor'themar at the very least is willing to." Said Chief. "We don't know about the Troll Vol'jin and Baine along with the other Horde leaders. Like we said, any further discussions will have to be done with them, not us." Varian raised an eyebrow at that.

"I take it you're not with the Horde." Said Varian, feeling that he was right. His feeling was proven correct when the green warrior nodded.

"Indeed." Said Chief. "We're an independent group that helped Lor'themar in this war. Only Lor'themar and only to make this war end quicker." Upon hearing them helping Lor'themar, Jaina glared at them in suspicion. How could they have helped Lor'themar without their knowing. The only possible way was either as assassins or…

Jaina then narrowed her eyes and spoke.

"Tell me, did you have anything to do with the Sunreavers escape from the Violet Hold?" Asked Jaina, narrowing at all of them. Varian was about to warn Jaina to stop when she spotted the elf in the group wince. That caused Jaina to snap.

"You did, didn't you!?" Demanded Jaina as she got out of her seat and glared at them all with hatred. "You're the people responsible for killing my people and freeing the traitors in my city! Am I right!?" To her anger, they didn't say anything, only looking at the green warrior with them. The green warrior stayed quiet for a few tense moments before speaking a single word.

"Yes." Said the green warrior. That caused Jaina to summon her staff, which she pointed at the group, causing them to place their hands on their weapons in alarm. The guards in the room saw this and raised their weapons. They were about to charge when Tyrande and Varian ordered them to stop.

"Jaina, stand down!" Bellowed Varian as he looked at his friend about to cast a spell on the Horde envoy. Upon hearing Varian, she glared at him, incredulously.

"These people are responsible for the breaking out of traitors and the death of Alliance personal! And you want me to stand down!?" Asked Jaina, not believing that Varian would ask such a thing.

"While it is regrettable for what they did, now is not the time for letting personal grudges to impede in the war effort!" Argued Tyrande, not wanting to let Jaina's hatred to interfere with the chance of getting the rebels on their side.

"These people kidnapped the children of Vereesa Windrunner!" Argued Jaina. "Do you want to be allied with such people. Azeroth knows that is happening to them right now!"

* * *

**Torrington base**

* * *

"So, do you think was a good idea?" Asked Cortana as she and ED-E looked at the children of Vereesa Windrunner playing with BT. After they were treated and tended to by the organics in the group, they left the synthetics in charge of them as most of their missions required stealth and infiltration, something none of them were suited for.

Cortana, left in charge of retrofitting the Dawn, the IMC and Enclave base to suit their growing needs, tended to the kids with BT and ED-E, both of whom were usually left behind if they weren't needed.

At first, the kids were weary of them, rightly so as they basically kidnapped them, the one called Galadin especially was weary of them, but after a long while, the two started to accept them and their care. BT especially, despite his large size and intimidating appearance. Cortana theorized it was because BT was Jack's partner. Jack, partly out of guilt, had been tending to the boys, letting them spill out their hate for him and the group while also comforting them while they missed their mother, wanting to go back to her. It was likely he was the reason they were even talking to them in the first place.

ED-E just spoke to her in a very naughty tone, causing Cortana to smirk.

"Oh you are a very dirty ball, aren't you?" Asked Cortana, liking ED-E's thoughts. ED-E just slyly gave a sharp remark. **"*Chuckles* **You are such a womanizer, ED-E. I like you." Cortana then went back to watching BT allowing the kids to bury him in sand.

* * *

**Sigma squad**

* * *

As Jaina was charging her mage staff, team Sigma was preparing for a fight. High elf had her bow out and pointing at Jaina while Ikit was rummaging his pack for something. Courier placed a hand on a revolver, ready to wipe it out and shoot the mage in the throat with it. Jack was ready to inject a stim in case things get dicey with the Alliance guards. Only Chief was unarmed. He just starred down at Jaina as she glared at his team, putting himself in front of her staff so it'll be him that is shot first and not his men.

"Those we killed during our mission were regrettable, miss Jaina." Started Chief, his tone the same as it usually was. "We tried to limit casualties as much as possible, but it just wasn't possible at the end. If you shoot us, I'm not going to hold it against you. But if you do this now, you're going to ruin your chances of limiting the casualties that the Alliance suffers during the assault on Garrosh." Jaina scoffed at that.

"Better that than trusting the Horde or their affiliates." Said Jaina before readying to cast a spell that'll freeze these people in place. Before she could cast, however, Varian swatted her staff away, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Enough!" Yelled Varian as he glared at Jaina, his patience now gone. "Jaina you will behave during this meeting or else I will personally escort you out of the premise!" Jaina, shocked to see Varian so enraged, was left speechless as Varian glared at her with a fiery look in his eyes. As the two Alliance leaders looked at each other, one of shock and one of rage, Tyrande looked at the Horde envoy with sympathy and an apologetic look.

"Forgive Jaina for her aggression." Said Tyrande. "But, with respect, I believe she has the right to be angry with you all."

"We never said that she doesn't." Said Chief as he looked at Tyrande. "To be frank, we don't expect her to ever forgive us for what we did. What we didn't expect was for her to willingly attack us when she found out. The fact it was during negotiations doesn't help her cause." Tyrande nodded at that.

"I know." Said Tyrande, needing to speak to Varian about this. Speaking of Varian, he eventually calmed down and sat down in his seat, motioning Jaina to do the same. Shaking her head, Jaina did what she was told and sat down. Looking at the envoy, she twitched in hatred, but didn't make any move.

"While I should be arresting you all for attacking an Alliance city." Said Varian, anger in his tone, whether it was aimed at team Sigma or leftover from his fight with Jaina was up for debate. "But since, you're offering a chance to end this war quickly, I'll let it slide, but only this once." Taking a deep breath, he looked at the Chief. "Green warrior, tell Lor'themar that I accept his proposal if he and the other rebels are willing to discuss a strategy in attacking Orgrimmar." Chief nodded at that.

"We understand. Rest assured victory will be won with less than thought of casualties. Come to Silvermoon tomorrow to discuss strategy." Said Chief with his same monotone voice. Varian raised an eyebrow at that, surprised a bit at just how calm this man, before ordering Shandris to escort them out. Once they were gone, Tyrande glared at Jaina.

"What were you thinking, Jaina? You're fortunate that those people were so forgiving and understanding. Otherwise, many Alliance lives would have been lost at taking Orgrimmar." Said Tyrande. Before Jaina could retort at her, Tyrande continued. "This isn't you, Jaina. I remember how sweet and compassionate you were. Before Theramore. How you and Thrall worked so hard to lessen the hatred between the Horde and Alliance. You were the foil to Varian's hatred and the voice of reason and cooperation in a board of leaders that wanted nothing to do with the Horde." Tyrande then sighed. "Including me. And now look at you. The person I know is gone. Replaced by someone so similar to Varian, but with none of his newfound restraint." Varian would have been offended if it weren't so true. In fact, Varian should be stopping this, but refrained because he knew that Tyrande was right. "I want that person back, Jaina."

Jaina just glared at Tyrande, but behind that glare, both Tyrande and Varian could see the hurt, betrayal, and self-loathing in them.

"She died the moment that Theramore died." Said Jaina, choking on her words. Out of everyone, I thought you would understand my position, Tyrande. It seemed I was mistaken." Tearing up, Jaina excused herself and marched out, grabbing her staff along the way. Once she was gone, Tyrande clasped her face with one of her hands.

"Forgive me for saying such things while we were around you, my king." Said Tyrande, not looking at Varian, who had stayed silent for the entire conversation. "Its just that…I miss the sweet and naïve young human mage that helped me in the 3rd war." Varian, looking at Tyrande, spoke up.

"I miss her too." Said Varian, trying to be nice and calm, something that he just…well sucks at doing. "We disagreed on many things, especially on the handling on the Horde, but I respected her drive and stubbornness on her beliefs. Like you said, she was my foil." Varian then looked at his armored hands. "Now that foil is gone. Lost because of Garrosh. And the Horde that she used to defend so hard." Tyrande sighed, knowing he was right.

"But…perhaps the Horde she used to believe is there. If these rebels are as sick of Garrosh's rule as Lor'themar and his envoys say they are, then perhaps peace is still possible." Varian then clenched his fists. "Anduin will want that." Tyrande then smiled at Varian.

"You have a good son, Varian." Said Tyrande. "I hope he has inherited your drive." Varian scoffed at that before getting up.

"Summon the other Alliance leaders, Tyrande. Once our champions have dealt with the Sha, it's time to launch an assault on Orgrimmar itself." Said Varian before marching off.

* * *

**Lor'themar**

* * *

"I do not agree with such things, Lor'themar." Said Vol'jin, glaring at Lor'themar as he was speaking to him in the secret base he built just miles away from Orgrimmar. The fact that he managed to build it so close to Garrosh's city was a testament to his craftiness and Garrosh's arrogance. "If we go to war against Garrosh and his madness, we do it alone and without the help of the ones that are killing our people." Lor'themar sighed in frustration at that. He knew Vol'jin was stubborn, but he thought he would at least try to work with the Alliance.

"Vol'jin, while I can understand your stance on the Alliance and humans, but denying their help at this moment of need is beyond idiocy." Said Lor'themar. "Whether you like it or not, we need their help in taking out Garrosh. You may have the help of the Tauren, Saurfang's Orcs, and now my people, but we need more if we're going to ensure our victory against Garrosh. Besides, this may end the feud between the Alliance and Horde. Both sides, taking down a corrupt leader, isn't that enough?" Vol'jin glared at Lor'themar.

"You forget we also need to allow the Alliance to impose restrictions on us after taking down Garrosh. We be taking the brunt of the assault and the Alliance will reward us by imposing military restrictions on us. How be that fair, elf?" Asked Vol'jin. Lor'themar pinched his nose in frustration, sick of the stubbornness of his allies. He was really starting to regret his decision to not join the Alliance.

"Whether you like it or not Vol'jin, we are the ones that started this war. We are the ones that are the aggressors. And we are the ones that turned Jaina into what she is now. And on top of that, we are the ones that corrupted the land of Pandaria. All because of Garrosh, yes, but he used our assets to do so. Assets like the Mana bomb that my people made. To make it worse, we went along with it all." Said Lor'themar. "Too scared to fight him or protest his actions. I don't know about you Vol'jin, but if the Alliance was in our shoes, I would be imposing restrictions on them if they did all that to us, wouldn't you agree?" Vol'jin clenched his teeth and glared at Lor'themar, knowing that deep down, he was right. Baine, who had quiet, took a stance.

"Vol'jin." Started Baine, speaking in the calm tone that he was known for. "Lor'themar is right. The Horde has caused so much damage to the Earth Mother and the innocent. And while we're trying to right our wrongs, we have allowed Garrosh to plague our great Horde with these injustices. If we are to rectify these wrongs, we must accept the restrictions the Alliance imposes on us." Vol'jin looked at Baine and sighed.

"You better not be making me regret this, Lor'themar." Said Vol'jin. "Tell the Alliance that the Darkspear rebels be willing to allow any restrictions they impose on us if they be willing to fight with us against Garrosh. Tell them we are willing to discuss strategy on taking Orgrimmar." Lor'themar sighed at that, grateful that Vol'jin accepted his proposal.

"Come to Silvermoon tomorrow. We'll discuss the strategy there." Said Lor'themar before taking his leave. Once he was gone, Vol'jin sighed.

"Both Saurfang and Sylvanas will not be liking this." Said Vol'jin, already hearing the disproval from the two leaders that had recently given their support to his rebellion.

"They will come around." Said Baine. "While I'm not sure about Sylvanas, Saurfang will understand why you did this." Vol'jin scoffed at that.

"You be putting too much faith in Saurfang. That orc will be itching to skin me alive for making this deal." Said Vol'jin. Baine frowned at that.

"He will not do such a thing. He knows that a leader must make hard decisions. Decisions that some may not see the wisdom in doing." Said Baine. Vol'jin scoffed again, but didn't say anything, hoping that Baine was right.

* * *

**Few hours later**

**Silvermoon**

* * *

"So, everything went as planned?" Asked High Elf in surprise. "Huh. Thought you or one of us gets killed for doing this. From what I heard, the Horde leaders aren't exactly the negotiating type. And Jaina looked like she wanted to skin us alive."

"Oh believe me, Vol'jin wanted to ram his tusks into me only eye." Said Lor'themar, surprised as well that Sigma team's mission went as well as his. "Well, that leaves us with discussing a plan to take Orgrimmar. I take it you have a grand plan."

"We do." Said Chief before discussing his plan. "We'll start by going to Orgrimmar in the cover of night. We'll identify key personal and eliminate them. We'll also be placing explosives in any defensive emplacements that may interfere in the assault. Once it begins we'll detonate them, creating chaos in the defenders ranks. To top it all off, we'll be doing an air assault with some fast air fighters. You remember our airship?" Lor'themar nodded. "Well, we got something faster. Something that'll deal a lot of damage to the defenders way before they can react quick enough to take it out. We'll keep them in disarray enough for you to mop up the defenders. Once we've done all that, we'll be sniping any enemies in a safe sniper nest with a good vantage point." Lor'themar hummed at that.

"That will definitely work in our favor. Saurfang will disapprove at such tactics, but now is not the time for such trivial things. We got a tyrant to overthrow." Chief nodded at that.

"Tell these things to everyone. Don't worry about us, we know our roles and we won't be anywhere near the fighting to cause confusion." Said Chief.

"I'll tell you when the assault will commence." Said Lor'themar. "Good luck, you may need it." Chief and the others nodded before leaving. Before they did, however, Lor'themar spoke.

"Do me a favor, however." Said Lor'themar, causing everyone to look at him. "Get that rat a bath. His stink will give you away. Not to mention his smell is much too unpleasant for my people." Upon hearing that Ikit yelled out in indignation.

"Hah! Told you." Said High elf with a smirk. Ikit grumbled, talking about how elves can't handle things that are not up to their tastes, before leaving with Courier, who was shaking his head in amusement. Jack and Chief looked at each other, shrugging, before leaving as well with a satisfied High Elf Archer.

* * *

**Torrington Base**

* * *

"Is this an accurate representation of your mother?" Asked BT in his monotone voice as he constructed a replication of a Vereesa Windrunner on the beach with a large tree trunk.

"It is!" Yelled Giramar with a smile as he looked at the picture of his mother, holding her bow and fighting a picture of an Orc that BT also made. Galadin, however, just looked at the picture sadly, missing his mother greatly. Though he liked the picture, it just wasn't the same as the real thing. BT saw this and gently placed the trunk down and went to Galadin and Giramar. Although Giramar liked them all, even playing with Cortana and High elf when they babysit them, Galadin had kept his distance from them. Not surprising considering what happened at Dalaran.

"You miss your mother, correct?" Asked BT as he kneeled down in front of the two elven children. Upno hearing the question, the two elves looked at each other.

"Yes." Said Giramar with a sad smile. "We miss her. We miss her cooking, the way she tucked us in. And we missed her laugh."

"After dad died, she's been so distant." Said Galadin. BT zoomed in and out of the two, understanding. "And it's all because of the Horde." The way he said it, the ferocity, made BT whir his optics.

"You hate the Horde for what they did to your family." Said BT. "An understandable reaction to them killing your sire. Are you willing to kill us for kidnapping you and doing this to you?" BT then gently pointed to the scars around Galadin's face. They were mostly faint, but a big one was underneath his right ear, caused when one of the big pieces of Jack's pistol sliced at his flesh while it passed him.

"No." Said Galadin hesitantly. "I don't want you people to die. Not anymore anyway." BT, however, placed a finger on Galadin's head and gently rubbed it.

"You do not need to lie to us. We kidnaped you two. Taken you away from your grieving mother, thereby making her condition worser. And we wounded you. Not fatally but has caused significant damage to your face. If you are still not made at us, enough to want us dead, it shows your willingness to forgive." Said BT. "However, I detect that you are hiding your true thoughts on us. Do not hide them. You can tell me what you think of us." After a minute or two of rubbing Galadin's head, BT stopped and looked at Galadin, who was pursing his lips. Giramar looked at his brother, concerned for him, put his hand on his shoulder and encouraged him to speak his mind.

"Brother, what did our mother say about hiding your true thoughts?" Asked Giramar, rubbing his brother's shoulder. "Let it out. Mr. BT won't hate you for saying them." BT nodded at that.

"I cannot feel emotions at all. Therefore, I will not hold it against you for hating me and my group." Said BT. "The others in the group feel the same way. Your hatred against us is understandable." Upon hearing that, Galadin spoke out.

"I…do hate you guys. You did this," He pointed at his face. "Hurt Alliance people and kidnapped us. If I was older I would…want to kill you all for this." After that, he exhaled hard, feeling a great weight coming off from his chest. In fear, Galadin looked at BT, who just zoomed his optics in and out.

"All understandable." Said BT as he opened up his cockpit, something that always creeped the two kids out as they couldn't comprehend anyone actually willing to get inside him and control BT, and brought out some water sacks that High Elf bought. "We do not mind your thoughts. In fact, we would be surprised if you didn't have them. It will be hard for one to forgive someone for kidnapping them and hurting them enough that scars will be permanent. If it helps, we are sorry and try our best to reunite your two with your mother." BT then held out his left hand, which held the water sacks. "You have my word and that of my pilot." The two elves then took the water sacks and drank from them.

"We'll hold you to that." Said Galadin with a soft expression on his face. BT nodded at that before getting up.

"What else do you two wish for me to draw?" Asked BT as he grabbed his tree trunk.

"Can you draw a building from Dalaran?" Asked Giramar, eager a building from Dalaran, even if its a drawing.

"I will try." Said BT as he began drawing again.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Well, he's a good nanny." Said High Elf as she watched BT draw for the little elves. "If I had a kid, I wouldn't mind leaving them with him."

"He always did have a heart of gold." Said Jack, his helmet off, smiling at his partner's treatment of the kids. He then looked at Chief and Courier. "You guys alright with leaving the kids to Vereesa. He's right you know. She's probably deep into depression with the loss of both her husband and kids." Courier and Chief nodded.

"We are." Said Chief as he walked closer to the monitor that held the video of BT and the kids. "Unfortunately, we got to deal with Garrosh first. After that, we can deliver the kids back to Vereesa." Jack frowned at that, thinking that they should deliver them now.

"With respect, sir, I think we should deliver them back to her now." Said Jack. "She's probably near suicidal right now. Every day that passes, it brings her deeper and deeper into depression. We should give them back to her now." Chief looked at Jack.

"You willing to take the risk of delivering them back to Vereesa?" Asked Chief. "She may not be happy to see you." Jack nodded.

"Even if it costs me my life, sir, I'll do it." Said Jack. "Taking the kids from their mother disgusted me, sir, and I want to make amends for it." Chief looked at the others, who shrugged or nodded in agreement with Jack.

"Alright, but on one condition. I'm coming with you." Said Chief, causing Jack to blink in surprise.

"Sir?" Asked Jack after the shock was over.

"I'm coming with you." Said Chief. "Someone needs to be shadowing you when you're doing this. Plus, if things go south, having someone watching your back can increase your chances of survival. That, and I'm not risking the lives of one of my men on something like this. I'm coming, whether you like it or not." Jack just blinked at that before shaking his head.

"I got no complaints. Just shocked is all." Said Jack. "So, when do you want to go?"

"Whenever you like." Said Chief. "I got nothing on the agenda that requires my presence. We need actionable intel on Orgrimmar's defenses before we can do anything. So, if you want to do it now, let's go." Jack smiled at that.

"I'll tell the kids." Said Jack before placing his helmet back on his head. Chief shook his head at Jack before looking at Courier.

"You got command until we come back. If you don't hear anything from us in twenty-four hours, stage a rescue for us." Said Chief before leaving to get some things.

"Hmm." Said High Elf with a smile. "He really reminds me of Orcbolg. Hides in armor. Talks in a monotone voice. And really handsome and sweet, despite what his appearances tells you of him."

"You like this Orcbolg, don't you?" Asked Courier, looking at the elf. "You dating or something?" That caused High Elf to blush.

"Of course not! He's dirty and smelly! No way would an elf maiden ever fall for someone like that!" She then took off, blushing all the way.

"Hmm…I feel like we humans have something for this." Said Courier as he looked at High Elf leaving.

"We Skaven have one." Said Ikit with a smile. "She being stupid-stupid! She want-want human. Want to make him hers, but is being dumb-dumb!"

"Ehh, you're probably right." Said Courier. "Now about that bath." When he went to look at Ikit, he saw the rat running away for his quarters.

* * *

**Much later**

**Dalaran**

* * *

"You mean to tell me that the people that kidnapped my boys, are also the ones that offered a military alliance between the Horde rebels and Alliance!" Yelled Vereesa, glaring at Jaina. Once Jaina had returned from Pandaria, she immediately went to Vereesa, who had been gathering what forces she can spare for an assault on Orgrimmar, to tell her the news.

Vereesa wasn't pleased to hear that they were now allying with Horde rebels, but she was furious when Jaina told her that the envoys were the same ones that attacked Dalaran, rescued the Sunreavers, and kidnapped her children.

"I'm afraid so." Said Jaina in disgust. "I tried to dissuade Varian, but he made up his mind. ***Scoffs* **He thinks he's saving Alliance lives, but he's only dooming more to Horde betrayal." She clenched her staff in frustration. "He's turned to such a coward now." She then sighed. "I'll still fight for him, but I'm having the Kirin Tor forces as far away from the Horde rebels as possible. It'd be better for this alliance." Vereesa nodded before sighing.

"I suppose I should gather the troops, yes? How many?" Asked Vereesa.

"As many as you could spare. Dalaran's protection is still one of our top priorities." Said Jaina. Vereesa nodded at that. She was about to leave to gather her forces when a thought sprung up.

"These envoys…did they say anything about my children?" Asked Vereesa, concerned for the safety of her children. Ever since they were kidnapped, she thought of them. How they were and how scared they must be with complete strangers. If those envoys did anything to them, she didn't know what she would do.

"There was no mention of them, I'm sorry." Said Jaina after a moment. She then teleported out of Vereesa's home, leaving the grieving mother alone.

"***Sighs*** I see." Said Vereesa as she began to leave for the barracks. As she was making preparations for the trip, however, the door to her home opened.

Frowning, she went over to the door and opened it. What she saw completely stunned her.

In front of her were her two children, Giramar and Galadin, all safe and sound. Galadin had a few scars, something that worried Vereesa, but aside from that, they were completely fine and safe.

Upon seeing their mother, the two boys ran up to her and hugged her thighs, crying tears of joy as Vereesa recovered.

Once she did, however, she hugged her boys back, happy that they were back while crying.

"You're…you're back." Said Vereesa softly as tears went down her face. "You're really back. But…how?" A monotone voice answered her question.

"To right a wrong, we did to you." Said Chief as he and Jack watched this unfold. Upon hearing that, Vereesa looked up and widened her eyes in shock at them. She then narrowed them as their appearance was exactly the same as the description Jaina gave to the Horde envoys.

Pulling her children behind her, she placed a hand on a hidden dagger on her person.

"You have some nerve coming here. After what you pulled." Threatened Vereesa as she glared at them. "You think returning my children to me would make me forgive you? For killing my men?" The two men shook their heads.

"No, we don't expect you to." Said Jack as he moved in front of Chief, looking at Vereesa behind his helmet. "In fact, we expect you to want to kill us for…harming one of your children and kidnapping them." Vereesa glared at them, realizing they were the reason Galadin has facial scars. Before she could pull out her dagger, Jack continued.

"I just wanted to say, for all of my group, sorry." Said Jack. "I'm sorry we kidnapped them." Jack then sighed. "Maybe if we were smarter. Less stupid. Or quicker, we wouldn't have needed to take them. And cause you so much grieve and pain, especially after losing your husband. Losing your kids so quickly after losing your lover…,it couldn't have been easy." Hearing the regret behind his helmet, despite the voice modulator, caused Vereesa to lose some of her fire. She then looked at her kids and saw them nodded.

"He really did regret taking us, mom." Said Giramar, recalling how Jack would express his regret in taking them and for Galadin's scars. "Maybe we should…give him a second chance. He's been good to us since he took us." Seeing Giramars and Galadin's eyes caused Vereesa to sigh and look at them.

"Your lucky that my boys are so forgiving." Said Vereesa as she let go of her dagger. "But if you do something like this again, then you'll die, no exceptions. Got it?" Jack nodded.

"We got it. And to express no hard feelings." Said Jack before pulling off his helmet, revealing his handsome face. Upon seeing it, Vereesa widened her eyes in shock. The face was just like the one that she meet during her time on Rhonin's grave. The same one that comforted her.

"Yeah, we meet before." Said Jack as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm the guy that talked to you before you purged Dalaran of Sunreavers. Makes me a shitty person, huh? I comfort you in a time of need, but not even a day, I kidnap your kids and kill people under your command. Some person, huh?" Looking at her shocked face, Jack sighed again. "Look, if you want to hit me, do it. I won't hit back. It's the least I deserv…" He couldn't finish before Vereesa slapped him hard, sending him crashing to the floor.

Recovering, Jack held his cheek as Vereesa glared at him.

"That was for kidnapping my children." Said Vereesa, glaring at Jack as he got up, holding his cheek.

"Okay I deserve that. Maybe it should have been a bit harder thou…" He was then hit in the crotch by Vereesa's leg. Hard.

"And that was for trying to seduce a grieving wife." Said Vereesa as Jack yelled in pain. Chief just stayed silent as this unfolded. Looking at his subordinate laying on the ground in pain, he looked at Vereesa.

"You'll be fighting in Orgrimmar?" Asked Chief, back to business. Satisfied, Vereesa looked at Chief.

"Yes, I will. Garrosh needs to pay for killing my husband. And the Kirin Tor are a part of the Alliance. They'll need all the soldiers they can get in attacking the Horde's capital." Said Vereesa, ignoring Jack and her boys' sympathy for the man.

"We'll try to minimize casualties as best we can." Said Chief. "See you on the battlefield." With that Chief went over and helped Jack up, grabbing his helmet and leaving with the man in tow.

"Was that necessary, mother?" Asked Giramar, feeling bad for Jack.

"Yes, Giramar, yes it was." Said Vereesa before going back inside with her children.

* * *

**Gag Reel 1**

* * *

"No-no!" Yelled Ikit as he scuttled on top of a cabinet. "No bath-shower! Ikit needs to plan for attack on Horde city! Not take water-trip!"

"You're going to take it and like it!" Yelled High Elf Archer as she glared at Ikit. Behind her was Courier, who was holding a small energy pistol, but not just any energy pistol.

"Come on, man." Said Courier. "You're sticking up the whole base with how you smell. Have you Skaven ever heard of regular bathing?"

"Nope!" Yelled Ikit before firing his arm cannon at them, sending them reeling back. Taking this opportunity, Ikit ran toward the vehicle bay for his Doomflayer. As he ran on all fours, he could hear the sounds of shouting and blasting just behind him, missing him by inches.

"No catch me-me!" Yelled Ikit as he barged into the vehicle bay and jumped on his Doomflayer. Starting it up, he was already out when Courier and High Elf arrived. Before he could really escape, however, a giant hand caught his Doomflayer, stopping it, while another hand reached and plucked Ikit from his ride.

"Acquisition of Ikit Claw successful." Said a massive Legion titan as Ikit struggled in its grip. It was then that High Elf and Courier showed up. "Ready for further restraint."

"Got it." Said Courier as he aimed his energy pistol at Ikit. "Don't worry mate, this won't hurt. Much." Before Ikit could protest, Courier fired his pistol, which shot out a blue stream of energy at Ikit, which coursed through his body, freezing it up. Shaking his head up and down, Courier instructed the Titan to lower Ikit down so they could remove his armor, which it do so gently. Once Ikit was on the ground, Courier and High Elf got to work.

"This really is ram shackled." Said Courier as he tried to figure out how to remove Ikit's armor, which looked like a novice made it with all its seals all over the place.

"Urg…even Orcbolg is neater than this." Said High Elf as she removed Ikit's helmet, nearly vomiting upon seeing the naked flesh it was hiding. "At least his armor looks half-decent. This looks like the work of a drunken blacksmith." Despite their complaints, the two managed to remove all of Ikit's armor and quickly moved the paralyzed rat towards the cubicle that contained the showers for officers. Well the male shower area anyway.

On the way, Ikit began to move again, but Courier just shot him with his gun again and that paralyzed Ikit again.

"How does that gun work?" Asked High Elf after they made it to the showers. Unlike the head showers typically found in a military base, this cubicle only had a single bath area, complete with all the shampoos and conditioners one needs to freshen up. Obviously, this was for an officer, maybe even the head of this base they were using.

"Special gun." Explained Courier as the two laid Ikit in a bathtub, which was already filled with hot water. Upon touching the water, Ikit tried to scream but he still was paralyzed. "Issued to special forces or riot control groups. Basically, paralyzes people for some time."

"Really?" Asked High Elf as she removed her gloves. "No matter the size?"

"Considering I used it to paralyze a giant robotic scorpion, I think it works on anything." Said Courier he watched High Elf place some shampoo on her hands and rubbing them, creating some soupy substance. "You sure you're okay with this? I could do it."

"Uh, I don't like touching this rat, even with a fifty-foot pole, but if it means it'll get him clean, then I'm all for it." Said High Elf, nearly gaging when she touched Ikit's dirty fur and began to scrumb, eager to get rid of the rat's stink. As she did so, Ikit suddenly came to life.

"No! My mus…" He couldn't finish as Courier fired his gun again, paralyzing him.

"Uhh." Said High Elf as she felt all the dirt underneath Ikit's fur. "Its like this is his first bath since he was born. Something is wrong with his species if they never bathe."

"I don't know." Said Courier. "I usually only take a bath every month, but that only because where I come from, clean water is a rare commodity. Can't afford to waste it with baths. The rest of the water is contaminated with the type of stuff you don't to be bathing in."

"I'll take your word for it." Said High Elf as she raised Ikit's armpits and began cleaning them. "I'm going to need some alcohol after this…nightmare."

"If you think that's bad, wait until you clean his nether regions." Upon hearing that, High Elf stopped.

"Oh no." Said High Elf as she glared at Courier. "I am not cleaning his crotch and tail! You do it!"

"No way." Said Courier, though he was fine with doing it, having done it before while at Freeside. "I got to fire this pistol every now and then to keep our friend paralyzed so you can clean him up. I'm not trusting you with this task! You don't even know how to fire my gun!"

"It can't be that hard." Said High Elf as she got up and took the pistol from Courier. "So I just aim it and pull this trigger." As if to demonstrate, High Elf fired the pistol…right at herself, paralyzing herself.

"Told you." Said Courier as he took it back, watching as High Elf, frozen, laid on the ground while Ikit recovered.

"Going to kill-kill you for…" Courier then fired the pistol at Ikit, paralyzing him too.

"Thank god I got ten points in Luck." Said Courier before going to work on Ikit, realizing he needed to clean him now. "Them lucky shades and Naughty nightwear also help."

* * *

**Later**

* * *

"Hate both of you-you. Going to kill-stab you after we find way home." Growled Ikit, now back in his armor, glaring at Courier and High Elf as they ate dinner.

"Shut up." Said High Elf. "You needed that bath and you know it." This then started another argument between the two, causing Courier to shake his head. Bringing out his energy pistol, Courier didn't even blink as he blasted the two, paralyzing them.

"Need to thank Arcade for upgrading this." Said Courier before putting his pistol at the dinner table, ready to be used again. "That is if we ever get out of here."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

**Orgrimmar**

**Night**

* * *

A patrol of two Orcs were outside the perimeter that Garrosh had setup for the Orc city. They, along with several others, were to raise the alarm should any rebels or Alliance forces were found.

In Garrosh's mind, the rebels would ally with the Alliance to overthrow his reign. It was a disgusting action, but one that Garrosh must prepare for. Even if they didn't ally with the Alliance, an attack from either will weaken Orgrimmar's defenses enough to make it easier for the other party to attack. And so, his most capable scouts were out, keeping an eye for any rebels or Alliance scouts.

Sniffing the air, one of the Orcs snarled.

"I smell something." Said the Orc as he sniffed. "It smells like an Elf." The other Orc growled at that and readied his axe. The two went over to where the smell was coming from, which was coming from a pair of rocks. The two were about to pounce when one of their heads exploded, sending brain matter and blood all over the area. Before the other could react, a shadowy figure jumped on top of him and slit his throat with a combat knife. As the Orc choked on his blood, the shadowy figure finished him off, ending his suffering as quickly as he could.

"You okay?" Asked the figure as it cleaned its knife with its armored shoulder. The question caused a tiny elf to pop out of the rocks she was hiding in. Her green eyes looking at the figure with relief.

"Yeah." Said High Elf Archer as she went over to the figure, revealing it to be Master Chief. "Thought I was hidden well, but these Orcs got some good noses on them."

"Different to the ones in your world?" Asked Jack as he and Courier were keeping an eye on the perimeter of Orgrimmar, watching if anyone was coming over to Chief's and High Elf's position.

"Yup." Said High Elf Archer as she watched Chief begin to hide the bodies and blood as best as he can. "They're quite dumb and easy to deceive. Kind of like Goblins in that regard. They're also not green. Or this big and tall."

"Huh, well that's odd." Said Jack. "Usually they are. Might have to tell me about them later."

"If we all survive, I'll tell everything that's different of this world to mine." Said High Elf as Chief finished.

"Keep the chatter to a minimum." Scolded Chief. "We still have work to do." With that done, Chief contacted Ikit. "Ikit, you done with the explosives. And are they not anywhere near civilians?"

"Yes-yes, green one." Said Ikit as he snickered about how easy it was for him to plant explosives at all of the Horde's important defensive emplacements. "When invasion come, big explosion will scatter-break Horde forces. Make them easy targets for fast birds! Also, heard stupid green-things talking about some massive machine-contraption made by goblins! Say very dangerous! Need to take-take for our needs."

"You mean your needs." Said Courier as he looked at some Orcs going to the beaches, obviously checking out for some enemy ships. "You want it to advance your own contraptions."

"Yes yes! Making more deadlier machines is dream for all Skaven!" Said Ikit, running to his own location in the beach, ready to make some big fireworks. "Get me contraption and I'll turn it against Horde!"

"Hmm…" Said High Elf as she thought of this. "We'll do it if you promise to only deploy it on bad people, like pirates." Ikit growled at that, wanting to use it as soon as it was finished, but relented. "Well, big guy, want to make the rat happy?" Chief just nodded.

"If this contraption is operational, we need to take it out anyway." Said Chief. "Ikit, try to find it and take it for yourself. I'm coming over to help you kill anyone that'll try to take it from you." Ikit smiled menacingly at that.

"I like-like you, man-thing." Said Ikit before turning around and going back to Orgrimmar, eager to get this flying contraption that the Orcs were blabbering about.

"As for the rest of us." Said Chief. "Get into position. Dawn is coming in a few hours and we need to make the most of it." He then looked at High Elf Archer. "Ready to end a war?" High Elf nodded.

"Let's take down a mad tyrant." Said High Elf as she drew her bow.

* * *

**Few hours later**

**Varian**

* * *

"Are the men ready, Jaina?" Asked Varian as he looked at Jaina, who was standing to his left with Vereesa Windrunner, clad in brown and green armor.

"As ready as they'll ever be." Said Jaina. "I just hope this decision to ally with the rebels won't backfire on us." Varian, though he won't say it, hoped so as well.

As per the plan they managed to agree on, after so many others that failed to have leaders of both factions reach an accord due to mostly hatred, the Horde will launch an attack on Orgrimmar from both land and sea from hidden passageways that only they knew, while the Alliance will launch an amphibious assault on the other side of Orgrimmar, sandwiching the city with their combined forces.

A risky gamble as, if the rebels were just faking their allegiance, then the Horde will have prepared for the assault and it'll make their siege that much harder. While Varian was confident that they can stake anything the Horde can throw at them, the losses will be staggering.

"If they do, they'll regret it." Said Varian before turning to Genn Greymane, the newest addition to the Alliance. "Are your Worgen ready for a fight?" Genn, in his wolf form, just growled.

"Just let us at them, Varian. I ensure you, we'll make the Horde pay for all that they've done." Said Genn, eager to get revenge on the Horde for what they did to his homeland, especially that witch that killed his son, Sylvanas Windrunner. To his rage, Sylvanas was part of the rebel faction and he was forbidden from attacking her, so much so that they had to remove him from any meeting with the Horde rebels in fear that he'll try to attack Sylvanas, which he almost did when he spotted the banshee queen.

She didn't recognize him nor see him, but Genn would have charged at her and ripped her throat out if it wasn't for Varian's son, Anduin, and Stormwind's spymaster keeping him at bay.

Assured, Varian went back to looking at Orgrimmar. The assault would begin once some massive explosive happened at Orgrimmar. That was what Lor'themar was adamant on, much to the chagrin of his other Horde leaders. After the minutes passed, Varian chaffed along with Genn.

"Ragh! What is taking so long?!" Demanded Genn, silently wondering if the Horde betrayed them. Jaina just spoke.

"I knew this was a trap Varian! We need to abort now! Before its too late." Said Jaina. Before Varian could even look at her, a sudden flash occurred before their eyes and, not even a moment after, a massive green plume shot up to the sky, right where the Alliance landing point was supposed to be. Not too long after that, secondary explosions also went off, taking out key defensive emplacements on the beach and on Orgrimmar's great metal walls, sending Orcs flying in the air.

Shocked at this display, Varian nonetheless recovered and looked at his other friends, seeing they were just as shocked as he was. Once they recovered, Varian ordered them to being the assault.

"What are you all waiting for! Begin that assault!" Yelled Varian. Hearing the order, Jaina immediately teleported herself and Vereesa to their ship and Genn began barking orders to the crew. Soon, the entire Alliance fleet was pressing forward to Orgrimmar, where they will take Garrosh and bring him to justice.

* * *

**Lor'themar**

* * *

"Its about time they did it." Said Sylvanas, hiding how impressed she was at the amount of destruction such a small team did. When Lor'themar told the other Horde leaders how small the advance team was, they couldn't believe that he was putting the hopes of the invasion on such a small team of strangers. Now, Sylvanas could see those hopes weren't in vain.

"**Hmm…perhaps I should convert them to undead. They would be valuable pawns indeed."** Thought Sylvanas as Lor'themar looked at her.

"Its time for our part to commence. I hope your Forsaken are ready." Said Lor'themar. Sylvanas just scoffed.

"Believe me Lor'themar, we're always ready to spill the blood of fools." Said Sylvanas before departing to ready her personal guard. Lor'themar, always chilled to the bone when around Sylvanas, was relieved to see her gone. He then turned to Liadrin and Aethas, who were standing by for orders.

"Prepare for the assault. It's time we depose a madman." Said Lor'themar.

* * *

**Ikit and Chief**

* * *

"About time he did it. What took so long Ikit?" Asked Jack as he and Courier watched the explosions go off.

"He had the safety on." Said Chief simply as he and Ikit were behind a pillar watching some goblins working on some big metal scorpion-like contraption along with some mechs. From the looks of it, they were rushing to get them working. Probably because of the explosions. "What do you want?"

"Big bug." Said Ikit with a smile. With a yell, he charged at the goblins, firing his warp fire thrower at them, melting the ones that were closets to the big flying contraption. As the other Goblins were in shock at this, Chief sprang out and fired his silenced battle rifle at them, taking them out with a single shot in order to save ammo. Once they were all gone, Ikit began to inspect the giant contraption.

"Hmm…so shiny. So deadly. So, mine." Said Ikit as he eyed the contraption with greedy eyes.

"You're going to pilot it?" Asked Chief as he eyed their perimeter.

"Yes-yes!" Yelled Ikit as he wandered around the contraption, trying to find how to get in. Eventually he found it and began to get in the contraption. "Okay, now to find controls. Hmm…Oh!" Ikit then found a big red button and pressed. As soon as he did, the scorpion contraption came to life and began to take off. "Its working! ***Crazy laughter***" The contraption then crashed through a wall and went outside, to the bewilderment of some Horde soldiers. Shaking his head, Chief brought out some grenades and began walking towards the Horde mechs.

* * *

**Jack**

**Several minutes later**

* * *

"Got one!" Yelled Jack as he snipped an Orc armored with black armor.

"Got two." Said Courier as he blew the brains out of two Orc warriors, one who seemed to be a leader, based on how he tried to rally others around him. "Explosions really rattled them. They're scrambling to respond quickly enough."

"Might be too late." Said Jack as he saw Horde rebels coming inland, their flags indicating they were with Vol'jin. "Got to hurry up before the rebels mingle with Garrosh's loyalists. There are, after all, Orcs that hate Garrosh." Courier nodded before the two began to snipe as many Orcs' loyal to Garosh as possible before the rebels clash with them. This lasted for about five minutes before they had to stop, they could no longer figure out who was either side.

"They couldn't have better ways to identify each other?" Asked Courier as he got up. He then turned to Jack. "I'll try to help the Horde by trying to snipe high value targets. You go help out the Alliance. Remind them that we're on the same side."

"Got it." Said Jack. "What about High Elf Archer?"

"She's running to go meet up with the Alliance. Now go." Said Courier. Before Jack could do so, however, they heard a massive explosion and before they knew it a large giant metal scorpion appeared from the wall of Orgrimmar and began wrecking havoc on Garrosh's forces.

"What in the god damn." Said Jack. Before Courier could speak, they heard over the radio Ikit, laughing like a mad rat.

"Hahaha! Flee-flee stupid green-things! Fear the wrath of Ikit Claw!" Yelled Ikit as he pushed buttons randomly, all of which somehow was causing damage to the Horde and not to the rebels. As they watched Ikit pick up an Orc with one of the scorpion's pincers, slicing him in half with them, Jack looked at Courier.

"Yeah, I'm going now." Said Jack before taking off, leaving Courier to shrug.

"Eh, I'm used to this kind of shit." Said Courier before leaving to find a better sniper point.

* * *

**Alliance**

**Few minutes later**

* * *

"Get out of my way!" Yelled Varian as he hacked and slashed any Orc that tried to attack him. His guard were at the ready, but they weren't needed. The explosions had scattered the Horde, leaving them helpless to the Alliance as they bombarded the already stunned Garrosh loyalists so they can make the landings easier.

Splitting his sword, Shalamayne, in two, separate swords, Varian slashed a group of Orcs as they charged at the Alliance high king, eager to take his head as a trophy. Ducking underneath an Orc's swing, Varian sliced the Orc's leg off before throwing one piece of his sword in another's head. He then used his other sword to slash at another Orc's throat. The final Orc tried to tackle him, but an arrow suddenly embedded into his head, killing him, just as Varian grabbed both of his swords to kill the final Orc. Raising an eyebrow, Varian looked around to see a small elf with green hair, her posture indicating she was the one that fired the arrow.

Remembering her from the meeting with the Horde envoy, Varian marched towards her, his guard behind him.

"I see you kept your side of the deal." Said Varian as he placed his two swords back into one. "You have my thanks. My landing would have been a disaster without your aid."

"Its just part of the job." Said High Elf Archer as she looked behind Varian to see Jaina and Vereesa coming towards them. "Anyway, the rebels are engaging Garrosh's forces as we speak. I don't know how they're doing, but they could use your help." Though he displeased working with the Horde again, especially against something that was their own fault, Varian nodded in agreement.

"We're offloading our siege equipment as we speak, but I can spare some men already." Said Varian. He then looked at Jaina. "Jaina, have Vereesa and her rangers be sent immediately as a vanguard along with Genn and his Worgen. The Dwarves need time to get the siege equipment ready." Jaina just nodded and looked at Vereesa, who nodded and stepped forward.

"We're at your command, Varian." Said Vereesa before looking at High Elf Archer. "Try to keep up, little elf." Going red at the comment, High Elf was about to yell at Vereesa when a Widow transport flew past them and hovered some distance away.

Opening its cargo bays, several Legion-class titans came out and landed roughly on the beach, their massive chainguns at the ready. Leading them was BT.

"Titans ready for operations, High Elf." Said BT, wielding a chaingun, looking at High Elf and the Alliance leaders, who were stunned to see such massive machines. High Elf just smirked at BT.

"Hey big guy. Ready to wreck some havoc?" Asked High Elf as BT walked over to her, towering over her by a large margin.

"Affirmative. We're ready to engage the enemy." Said BT as he pumped his chaingun for emphasis. "Is Jack here yet?"

"No idea. Last I heard, he was snipping with Courier. Though he might be coming here to meet up with you." Said High Elf. BT nodded before looking over to Vereesa Windrunner.

"You are the mother of the children we took." Said BT. Seeing that it was talking about her, Vereesa nodded. "I like to apologize again for my group. They are wonderful kids that did not deserve what happened to them. This may sound strange coming from a machine, but I have learnt much from my pilot, including the ability to feel shame for one's actions." Widening her eyes at such an apology Vereesa was at a loss of words, including Jaina. Before Vereesa could respond to that, BT suddenly stood at attention. "My pilot approaches. We must unite to maximize our effectiveness." With that, BT left them, leading the legion titans toward the front. High Elf then waved at Vereesa, who was still stunned.

"Come on, old lady." Said High Elf with a smirk. "We got a battle to win." With that, High Elf ran after BT and the titans, leaving Vereesa in the dust.

Shaking her head, Vereesa narrowed her eyes and ran after High Elf.

Raising an eyebrow at what he witnessed, Varian looked at Jaina, who was still shocked.

"Do not stand their gawking Jaina. Like the little elf said, we have a battle to win." Said Varian, going back to organize his men for a long siege.

* * *

**Jack**

**Few minutes later**

* * *

"BT, where are you!?" Yelled Jack as he ran past some Horde rebels and Garrosh loyalists clashing at each other.

"We are several hundred meters away from you, pilot. Hold on. We are on the way." Said BT as he finally arrived at the battle. Seeing people exchanging swords and magic against each other, BT raised his chaingun and fired at the Horde Orcs loyal to Garrosh. The chaingun wreaking havoc against anything it touched, turning the Orcs into bloody chucks of flesh.

"Good! Check your fire, BT! Some Orcs on our side!" Yelled Jack as he raised his R201 assault rifle and fired at some Orcs that tried to chase after him. As he was running, Jack could see both rebel and loyalists' soldiers falling. Both having different ideals on what the Horde should be. One of conquer or simple survival. It reminded Jack of the differing factions within the Militia during its earlier days.

Back during the beginning of the war with the IMC, the Militia was made up of a bunch of opposing factions. Pirates. Disgruntled colonists. Mercs. People that fought for true freedom in the frontier. The Militia didn't care, they took in anyone that hated the IMC and were willing to fight. It caused some major political problems for the Militia as factions fought each other on how to fight the IMC. They still had them, though they weren't as significant as in the past.

"**Hate to admit it, but they remind me of the Militia."** Thought Jack as he ran towards BT, where he could hear the sounds of chaingun fire. "**Except we don't have a crazy tyrant that needs to die in the command of the entire Militia."** Seeing BT's frame, Jack was about to comm him when the ground underneath him went away, sending him tumbling down a newly formed ditch.

Shaking his head, Jack looked around to see some Trolls with him. As they wondered what was going on, Jack looked up to see an Orc shaman glaring at them before several Orc warriors descended on the helpless rebels.

Yelping, Jack rolled out of the way of a massive hammer trying to cave his skull and pulled out a Wingman heavy pistol. Aiming at the Orc as he lifted his hammer, Jack fired his pistol, hitting the Orc in the head, causing brain matter to spill all over the floor.

His assailant gone, Jack looked to see the Trolls being killed by the Orcs, too disoriented to fight. Just as one Orc was about to snap the neck of a Troll, Jack fired and killed the Orc, saving the Troll. He then was about to open fire again when he saw the shaman cast a fireball at him.

Rolling out of the way, Jack got up just in time to avoid the fireball. Some embers caught in his armor, but it was nothing too serious. Aiming his pistol, Jack was about to fire when an Orc warrior slammed his fist into his stomach, sending him flying to a wall.

Puking out blood, Jack looked up to see the Orc raise his axe, eager to end his life. Before he could, an arrow embedded itself in the back of his head, and flew out the back of his head, taking an eyeball with it. Shocked, Jack looked up further, to see Vereesa Windrunner, ending the life of the Orc shaman with another arrow. Once she did, she went to the ditch, sending arrow on all the remaining Orcs, saving Jack and the remaining Trolls.

Once they were safe, Vereesa looked at Jack, twitching a bit at seeing him.

"About to be killed by a grunt, I see." Said Vereesa, disapprovingly as she held out her hand. Trying to ignore the pain in his stomach, Jack grabbed the hand and yelled out when Vereesa hoisted him back on his feet. Seeing the tight stance he had, Vereesa felt a brief flint of concern before casting it away.

"Think he injured some ribs." Said Jack as he held his gut. "Maybe broke them." Laying back down, Jack began to rummage one of his packs for some painkillers. "Don't worry about me, I got something for the pain. Get back out there and fight the Horde."

"I'm not going to let you die from something silly as blood loss." Said Vereesa as she knelt down in front of Jack, watching as he rummaged his packs for the item he sought for. Patience running low, Vereesa took away Jack's hands and began to rummage the item he sought for by herself. "Let me. What does it look like?" Jack was about to respond when he spotted something behind Vereesa. Pushing her away, Jack raised his pistol and fired at the Goblin that tried to pounce on them, killing it.

"Fucking bastard tried to jump us." Said Jack. He then turned to Vereesa who looked around for any other Goblins. "Those ears for show? Thought they're good for hearing." Eyeing him with annoyance, Vereesa went back to rummaging his packs.

"Tell me what the item looks like." Said Vereesa, eager to get back into the field and away from this child kidnapper.

"Looks like a needle with a glass vial attached at one of the ends." Said Jack. "You'll know it when you see it." Just like that, Vereesa found the item and gave it to Jack. Jabbing the needle to his gut, Jack gave a yell when he injected its contents into his system.

"Damnit." Said Jack as he threw away the syringe. "Never could get used to that shit." He then looked around for his R-201, finding it behind Vereesa. Grabbing it, he looked at Vereesa, who got up. "Thanks. I'd be dead if it weren't for you." Instead of saying your welcome, Vereesa bumped into Jack, getting out of the ditch.

"I did it because you might save a few of my men." Said Vereesa. "Nothing else." Shaking his head, Jack followed Vereesa, just as BT arrived.

"Pilot, are you alright?" Asked BT as he knelled down and opened his cockpit.

"Got one in the stomach, but painkillers are holding up." Said Jack as he got in. "Should hold enough for the entire operation. Let's get to killing BT."

"Understood." Said BT before screens showed up in the cockpit, giving Jack a full view of the entire battlefield. With that, the two went into action and charged into the thick of the battle. Looking at BT as it left, Vereesa sighed and went into the fray as well.

"Well, I'll be damned." Said High Elf as she helped some Trolls get out of the ditch. "She totally digs him. Huh…guess we elf maidens like humans."

* * *

**Chief**

**Twenty minutes later**

* * *

"By the Sunwell, Garrosh forces are fighting with all they got!" Yelled Lor'themar as he ducked underneath an Orc swing and countered with his own, expertly slicing the Orc's throat while also wounding another with another sword that he acquired from a fallen Blood Elf ranger.

"Watch your left." Said Chief before firing at an Orc shaman that tried to cast a spell behind Lor'themar's back. He then attempted to reload, but an Orc warrior charged at him, forcing him to jump over the Orc and fire his pistol at the Orc's head, sending several bullets to his brain. Landing, Chief swapped out his battle rifle for a shotgun on his back and fire, blowing up an Orc's head with one shot. He then charged at a group of Orcs that were surrounding two wounded Taurens. Firing both his pistol and shotgun, Chief fell three of the Orcs while the Tauren held off the other three just enough for Chief to finish them off with some quick shots to the back.

Roaring thanks to the green warrior, the Tauren ran off to friendly lines to heal their wounds. Chief, used to fighting with non-humans, went back to Lor'themar, who finished off another Orc.

"I can't believe so many Orcs follow Garrosh." Said Lor'themar as he pulled his sword out of his most recent kill. "I know that most of them belonged to the original Horde back in the first war, but I never expected them to be this loyal. They used to follow Thrall's ideals so well. How could they abandon them so quickly for Garrosh's way?"

"You can ask them when this is over." Said Chief as he reloaded his weapons. "For now, let's focus on the battle. What's the situation here?"

"We're advancing, but Garrosh's forces are making us bleed for every inch we gain. ***Sighs*** They're a tenacious bunch, I'll give them that. But we'll be by the gates in just a couple of hours. I swear it."

"Probably sooner." Said Chief as he pointed to where a couple of legion titans were carving a path of destruction into Garrosh's lines, creating so much disarray that both Alliance and Horde rebels were taking advantage of.

"When you told me had advance technology, I didn't think it included robotics that made Dwarf robots look primitive." Said Lor'themar, a bit unnerved with how natural the legion titans moved. "Still, it helps. A lot. I just hope that Garrosh doesn't have a hidden ace." Speaking of Garrosh, Chief was wondering where the warchief was. By all accounts, he should be here, leading the defense of Orgrimmar at the front, but Courier hadn't spotted him from even the start of the operation. He was up to something, he had to.

"He must be. Why else isn't he on the front lines?" Asked Chief. Lor'themar nodded grimly at that.

"Yes. I'm afraid my fears are correct." Said Lor'themar before looking at Chief. "Once we get the gates, I'll order the Horde's greatest champions charge and take Garrosh. You'll support them?" Chief nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." Said Chief before firing at an Orc that charged at him from the back. "They make poor ambushers." Lor'themar shrugged at that.

"Believe me, that's not even the worst attempt by an Orc to sneak on a Blood Elf." Said Lor'themar before charging in with Chief in tow.

* * *

**Thirty minutes later**

**Two hundred meters from Orgrimmar gates**

* * *

After thirty more minutes of blood shed, the rebels and Alliance forces managed to break the enemy's back, forcing them to the gate's of Orgrimmar, where the steel doors were preventing the armies from advancing any further. To their frustration, the gates were holding, despite the attempts of their siege equipment to bring down the gates. Attempts to send rouges and rangers to open the gates had failed with them either forced back or killed when they were discovered. The gate mechanisms were just to heavily guarded for them to capture without heavy reinforcement.

"This be taking too long." Said Vol'jin as another attempt by rebel and Alliance siege equipment tried, once again, to break down the gates, to no avail. "The longer this goes on, the more time we give Garrosh to make more defenses for us to contend."

"Agreed." Said Varian, keeping his disgust at being next to Vol'jin at bay. "We need to break down those gates now."

"How?" Asked Shandris as she arrived with Tyrande. "Our latest attempt to infiltrate the enemy has failed. And the next shipment of siege equipment will take hours to arrive. What can we do?"

"Got a solution." Said Chief as he arrived with Ikit, who had brought his latest toy with him. "Our titans have a feature in them that caused them to explode with a force of twenty kilos worth to TNT. We bring a few to one spot and that section of the wall will go do, giving us an opening." Varian looked at Master Chief at that.

"And you think your machines can get close enough to accomplish such a feat?" Asked Varian, looking over at said machines, who are currently being gawked on by Gnomes and Dwarves, obviously entranced with such impressive machines.

"They will." Said Chief. "I'll be piloting one to ensure that they make it." That caused them all to look at Chief in surprise.

"You'll get caught in the blast." Said Lor'themar, not believing Chief would risk his life like that.

"There's an ejection seat in all the titans. I'll be safely away from the explosion. Trust me." Said Chief as he looked at Lor'themar. "It'll take less time then getting more siege equipment. And the more time we waste, the more time that Garrosh can put more defenses or plan a counterattack." The other nodded in agreement at that. Seeing no objection, Chief left them, saying he won't be long.

"Cortana, you got all that?" Asked Chief as he left to go pilot a legion titan.

"Yes, and, like I've said before, you're crazy." Said Cortana as she monitored the whole battlefield from Torrington. "Normally Jack would handle this as he's the expert, but with the wounds he suffered, I think it's best you do this. Courier is too busy tending to him and other wounded to do it and I don't think that guy knows how to pilot a giant robot mech, even with his street smarts. The others…well, I'll let you guess why they're even worse." Chief just nodded as he got inside one legion titan and turned it on, having been taught by Jack the basic functions of operating a titan, along with how to trigger its nuclear self-destruct function and how to eject from a Titan when he needs to.

Checking all the necessary systems for problems, Chief then began to move the titan's hands, flexing them. After being sure they function, Chief grabbed its chaingun and motioned the other Titans, five others, to follow him, which they did in earnest.

"I'll manually trigger the self-destruct function, John." Said Cortana as the titans moved forward. "You just make sure you're not a pancake when you hit the ground.

"Understood." Said Chief before turning his focus back on the battle incoming. As soon as the titans reached the gates, both shamans and missile fire from Goblin tech began to shower the mechs.

One was immediately destroyed, having been hit by several massive stone boulders that punctured its weakened shields after it got blasted by several fireballs, the armor held for the first two, but the 3rd broke the armor and destroyed the titan's systems, sending it crashing to the ground.

The other titans then opened fire on the wall's defenders, activating their gun shields to give them some cover. They killed some Orc warriors and shamans, but the magic and missile fire kept coming.

Chief dashed his titan out of the way of a crevice that a shaman made on the earth, something that caused another titan to fall to the crevice, unable to get back up. Looking at the wall, Chief fired a charged shot at the wall, taking out a bunch of shamans before moving towards the wall section he was aiming for. Looking at his backup, Chief could see another titan fall after repeated magic strikes of either boulders or lightning against it. The remaining two were on fire, nearing destruction.

Wasting no time, he charged forward, reaching the wall just as a massive magic lightning strike hit his titan, sending sparks all over the cockpit.

"Bail out!" Yelled Cortana as she activated the self-destruct on Chief's and the other Titans. Wasting no time, Chief ejected out of the Titan, which caused him to fly straight up, hundreds of feet away from the Titans as they glowed bright blue. Chief watched as the three Titans blew up, taking a massive portion of the wall with them, causing Orcs and Goblins to fell to their deaths or simply being incinerated from being near the explosion.

Seeing the destruction, the rebels and Alliance forces began to move toward the hole, not wanting the enemy to regroup and plug the hole with bodies.

Chief, meanwhile, was falling to the ground. Locking up his armor, Chief braced himself as he landed on top of the gates of Orgrimmar, completely unharmed.

Unlocking his armor, Chief saw one Orc warrior charging at him. Before he could retaliate, the Orc warrior was blown apart by a rocket. Chief then looked to his right to see a Pelican coming up and firing its machineguns at the remaining Orcs and Goblins on the wall, taking them out. Once the threat was gone, the Pelican turned around to reveal Courier and High Elf Archer.

"You are one crazy human, you know that?" Asked High Elf with a smirk. "You're just like Orcbolg! Crazy and willing to die for others." Chief just stayed silent as he got in the Pelican and sat besides Jack, who was being treated by Courier.

"You stole my spotlight." Said Jack as Courier treated his ribs.

"Wouldn't have if you didn't get hurt." Said Chief as the Pelican landed somewhere safe.

"I could have done it if you…wow!" Yelled Jack as Courier injected a stim pack on Jack's stomach.

"There you go." Said Courier as he finished. "Your ribs are all fixed. Though I recommend not going toe to toe against on Orc anything soon."

"Ha ha. Very funny." Said Jack as he got up and sat on one of the Pelican's seats. "Think they got it now?"

"Well that wall was all that was standing in their way." Said High Elf as she saw the battle from afar. "Don't really see why we shouldn't help out more though."

"Agreed." Said Chief as he grabbed a sniper rifle above him. "Land on a building in Orgrimmar. We'll provide sniper cover for them."

"Them and Ikit." Said Courier as he brought out his trusty gauss rifle. "Crazy rat is in his metal scorpion and he's out making life hell for them Garrosh loyalists."

"How much?" Asked Chief as he inspected his sniper rifle for any faults.

* * *

**Ikit**

* * *

"Die-Die! Fear Ikit Claw!" Yelled Ikit as he piloted his giant scorpion against Garrosh's Orcs and Goblins, either tearing them apart with its metal pincers or blasting them with energy blasts from its tail. Crackling like a maniac, Ikit charged the tail gun and fired an energy blast at a group of Orcs emerging from a building, taking them out and the building as well. He then saw a massive rock. Grabbing it, he tossed the rock towards a building, creating a massive hole.

"Fear me!" Yelled Ikit as he piloted his scorpion to a group of Orcs.

"That is one insane pilot." Said an Alliance foot soldier as he watched the metal scorpion, piloted by Ikit Claw, wrecked havoc everywhere he went. A blood elf ranger, also watching the carnage, simply nodded before going to kill some Garrosh loyalists.

* * *

**Courier**

* * *

"Eh, a lot." Said Courier as the two landed on top of a building in Orgrimmar. High Elf was about to go with them when Chief stopped her.

"Keep an eye on Jack. He needs someone keeping an eye on him." Said Chief with Courier nodding.

"Yeah, if none of us are keeping an eye on him, he might go and get his balls kicked by Vereesa again. Or get himself killed by fighting an Orc again." Said Courier as he readied his rifle.

"I won't do either!" Yelled Jack as he looked at Courier, who chuckled. High Elf groaned but, nonetheless, agreed and went to the cockpit of the Pelican. Upon getting in the cockpit, however, she pursed her lips.

"Uh, how do you work this thing?" Asked High Elf as she took the pilot seat. To answer her question, an image of Cortana came up on a screen on the elf's right.

"I got it. You just sit tight." Said Cortana before piloting the ship out of danger, both to prevent it from being shot down and to get Jack some better medical help.

"Wish we could be there to see Garrosh get his just deserts." Said Courier as he snipped an Orc from killing a human soldier. "But Lor'themar wanted the Alliance and Horde to get the prize." Chief simply nodded before firing at a different Orc. They didn't know why, but Lor'themar had requested that they leave Garrosh for the Horde and Alliance. Chief and the others thought it was because that, since Garrosh had caused so much damage for both sides and not much on them, it felt right for both the Horde and Alliance to take him down and not some outside party. Chief disagreed but Lor'themar had out his foot down, so they reluctantly helped take down other high targets.

"Kind of sucks that we get relegated to clean up duties." Said Courier as he saw a mix-match group of Horde warriors and Alliance soldiers going into Orgrimmar's capital. "Looks like the big heroes have arrived. This will all be over soon." Chief just nodded before sniping another Orc commander. Just as he was about to fire again, he saw an Orc Shaman launching a fireball at them. Ducking down, Chief felt the impact of the fireball as it hit the building. Once he was certain they were safe, Chief got up and fired at the shaman before he could fire again.

"Nice." Said Courier before firing again, taking out a Goblin in a mechsuit. "You remind me of my sniper pal, Boone. He would have loved to meet you." Chief didn't say anything as he continued to fire.

* * *

**Thirty minutes later**

**Chief and Courier**

* * *

"Sir, this is going to hurt more if you keep moving." Said Courier as he helped an Alliance Dwarf with a massive axe stuck in his femur. Ten minutes ago, the fighting on the surface of Orgrimmar had ended. The remaining holdouts were in the inner sanctum of Orgrimmar, where the champions of both Horde and Alliance were facing Garrosh and his remaining loyalists. Forbidden with suspected reasons, Courier, Ikit, and Chief were held back, either watching out of stragglers or tending to the wounded.

"But it hurts!" Yelled the Dwarf as he tried to find something to hold on to.

"For wasteland sakes, I've seen geckos hold it better than you." Said Courier as he brought out a syringe. "Here, this is null the pain." He then injected the syringe's contents into the Dwarf's system, who immediately felt the effects.

"The pain. Its gone." Said the Dwarf in awe as Courier tossed the syringe away. "What sort of magic is this?"

"Its not magic, its modern medicine." Said Courier as he got ready to remove the axe. "You might want to hold on to something. This will still hurt." The Dwarf groaned before bracing himself.

The resulting scream caused Chief to snap away from his conversation with Vereesa Windrunner as they both saw Courier remove the axe before quickly patching the Dwarf up.

"And they saw Dwarves are the hardiest of races in Azeroth." Said Vereesa plainly as the Dwarf Courier was patching as yelling out in pain, slamming his fists on the dirty grounds of Orgrimmar. Chief, however, just turned back to Vereesa and spoke.

"Are they still fighting Garrosh?" Asked Chief. Last he heard of Lor'themar and Varian, they both, along with most of the Horde and Alliance leaders had left for Orgrimmar's inner sanctums, wanting to help their champions in taking down Garrosh.

"We haven't received any word from them." Said Vereesa, Chief detecting a little worry in her voice. "Shouldn't take them this long. Its just one Orc with no magical prowess."

"Should I take my men and investigate?" Suggested Chief. Vereesa, however, shook her head.

"No, let's wait a few more minutes. If we don't receive words from them, I'll go with a platoon of my best men. You can come if you want, but I'd rather not get into trouble by bringing you." Said Vereesa.

"Why?" Asked Chief, confused a bit. "We're allies at this moment. Why not have us against Garrosh?" Vereesa sighed.

"Its one of the few things that they all agreed upon when they all met up." Said Vereesa. "Varian wants the Alliance to be the one that takes Garrosh down while Thrall and Vol'jin wants the Horde to be it. They argued back and forth until a compromise was made. That the Horde and Alliance best champions will work together to defeat Garrosh."

"Why not us, though?" Asked Chief, still a bit confused. "We're a 3rd party. We have little to no affiliations with the Horde and Alliance. Why not send us?"

"Simple." Said Courier as he arrived, having finished treating the Dwarf. "They both want to show the world that their faction is strong. Or show the world that they're capable of rectifying their wrongs. For the Alliance, if they take down Garrosh, it'll be a sign that the Alliance can overcome anything. There's also the fact that they want to punish Garrosh with their own laws, which are different to the Hordes'. As for the Horde, if they take down the Horde, it'll show the world that not everyone was with Garrosh and that they are capable of dealing with their own internal strife. That and the fact that Thrall and Vol'jin probably want Garrosh to die by their own hands rather than the Alliance. After all, Garrosh proliferated everything they stood for, right?" Vereesa just sighed and nodded.

"Unfortunately," Said Vereesa as she pinched her nose. "You're correct in all regards. Politics. They keep getting in the way of common sense." Courier just shrugged.

"Tell me about it." Said Courier, remembering all the times Hsu and Hanlon talked to him about their frustrations with NCR politicians and Brahmin barons back in California giving them trouble. Even with the Legion fragmented, the politicians were delaying troop and ammo deliveries from California to the Mojave. The NCR was doing fine for now, but Hsu needs more men to arrive so he could better secure the Mojave, especially after Oliver and Moore left to take care of the Legion now that they were leaderless, taking with them some of the best rangers and troopers in the NCR army.

"Just having their champions take Garrosh down won't be enough." Said Chief as he looked at Vereesa. "There still is the problem of dealing with Garrosh and who gets to deal with him." Vereesa sighed again.

"Unfortunately, you're right." Said Vereesa, fearing that things will go badly. "I hope calmer heads will prevail, but considering Varian is there…" Chief just nodded as he and Courier wondered how this will go down and if they should just get out of here if things go downhill.

Before they could think about what to do, they heard some crazed laughing. Turning around, they saw Ikit getting out of his scorpion and laughing.

"Brilliant! My brain has found a way to make Doom bug more powerful! More killy!" Yelled Ikit as he laughed like a madman, firing his warpfire projector all over the place as he jumped in excitement.

"There is something very wrong with your rat." Said Vereesa as she saw this, along with other Alliance and Horde soldiers.

"We know." Said Courier as Ikit calmed down, only for him to laugh madly again as he climbed up the scorpion tail and continued to laugh from there. "You just get used to it. After living with him for a few weeks, of course." Vereesa's ears twitched as she thought of her living with Ikit for a few weeks. Just imagining it left her uneasy.

"I very much doubt that." Said Vereesa before looking at Chief. "Where are your other companions? The little elf and the one that took my children?"

"Jack is being tended for by High Elf." Said Chief as he looked at Vereesa. "They're fine if that's what you're asking."

"I'm only concerned with the elf. Your other companion I could care less of." Said Vereesa, narrowing her eyes at Chief. Chief, knowing the problem, just turned away.

"He regretted what he did." Said Chief. "He told me how much he regretted the fact he did it and took care of them whenever he had the time." Courier nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, you have the right to be pissed at him, but come on." Said Courier. "Just talk to him and you'll hear the regret in his voice. Just don't kick him in the nuts again. Even though it was funny, that was kind of mean." Vereesa sighed before looking at Courier.

"How can a parent forgive a person for kidnaping their child?" Asked Vereesa, not accusing them of anything. "I can I just let that go and be friends with him?"

"Can't tell you myself." Said Courier. "I don't have kids so I don't have the emotional bond that you have with your own children. But what I do know is, you shouldn't hold a grudge against Jack for doing something that he regrets to the point that it'll hamper your ability to work with him. Sooner or later, you two may have to work together on a dangerous assignment and if you have that bad of a grudge, both of you may die because of it." Vereesa pursed her lips, seeing the logic in Courier's words. "Plus, your kids forgave him. Might as well join them, right?"

"…Very well." Said Vereesa after a minute of thinking. "After all this is over, I'll talk with him. And…I'll try not to hurt him." Courier nodded at that.

"Thanks." Said Courier. "Trust me, its better for all parties. Sometimes just sitting down and talking can be the best solution." Vereesa scoffed at that.

"I haven't seen that solution be effective for quite some time." Said Vereesa, recalling all the times that the Horde and Alliance tried to sit down and talk, only to backfire or end with people at each other's throats. Chief, who was silent, then received a call from a transmission code that he didn't expect to receive.

"I have to take this. Courier, deal with any Horde and Alliance problems that are dragged onto us." Said Chief before leaving.

"Uh…sure. I guess I could do that." Said Courier as he watched Chief leave. Once he was fully gone from his sight, he looked at Ikit, continuing laughing like a madman. "Wonder if I should stop him before he hurts someone."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Chief**

* * *

After finding an abandoned and checking for any hostiles, Chief answered the call that he was receiving.

"Kel'danath, is that you?" Asked Chief, already knowing who will talk on this frequency. "Have you found a cure to your people's addiction?"

"Yes, my friend." Said Kel'danath, all the way from the Broken Isles. He was using the satellite transceiver that the Spectres had installed in the cave system that he and Farodin were using to both experiment on the Arcan'dor seed and see if they could stabilize its great power. "We've found a way to stabilize the Arcan'dor. With it, I believe we've found a way to free my people from our cursed addiction."

"That's good to hear." Said Chief, genuinely happy for Kel'danath. "So why are you contacting me?"

"Well, this may sound strange, but I would like you to be there, along with your friends." Said Kel'danath. "So would Farodin. If it weren't for you, I would be a Withered now and this cure may never have been found. So, if you have the time, I would like you to come with your friends to witness the Arcan'dor seed become the salvation my people need. The rat included." Chief took a moment to take this in before speaking.

"I respect your want for us to be there, but we are busy at the moment." Said Chief. "The war I spoke of is currently at the end. We're about to end the tyrant I spoke of and soon we'll be in the process of discussing war reparations and the like. We'll be busy for quite awhile. You may want to do it without us."

"Of course. I understand." Said Kel'danath. "But do visit when the Arcan'dor tree is fully bloom. Farodin claims it's a tree of great beauty when fully bloomed. You should witness such beauty yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind. With luck, we'll see each other again." Said Chief as he ended the call. With that done, Chief went to find Vereesa and Courier.

Through some luck, they were still in the same place, watching as Ikit began to sniff a crate of food.

"Something smell-stink good-good in this barrel." Said Ikit as he looked inside, finding nothing but wheels of something yellow. Grabbing a wheel, Ikit sniffed it again, finding it good to smell. "What is this?"

"Its cheese." Said Vereesa, looking at the creepy rat as he examined it like a child looking at something that caught its eye. "Don't defile all of it. People eat it." Ikit, however, wasn't listening and began to chew on the cheese, thinking it was something good. Upon swallowing, Ikit froze and dropped the wheel of cheese, mouth open.

"Ah crap." Said Courier as he saw this reaction from Ikit before. "In three. Two. One."

"***Laughs madly*** This good-good!" Yelled Ikit as he grabbed the cheese and looked at it like it was something holy. "Must have more-more!" He then began to eat the cheese rapidly, savoring the taste. Upon eating the entire wheel, he began to ransack the crate, eating all the cheese he wanted. "Mine! All mine! ***Laughs madly*"**

"Great. I got a mad rat to deal with." Said Vereesa as she saw this happen, creeped out that Ikit was reacting this way around something as simple as cheese.

"You should have seen him when I gave him a Nuka-cola Quantum. Crazy bastard was in so much of a sugar rush, we had to lock him up in a room for several days until he calmed down." Said Courier, watching Ikit eating cheese.

"Are the leaders back yet?" Asked Chief as he walked up to Vereesa and Courier, ignoring Ikit.

"No, I fear the worst." Said Vereesa as she sighed. "I'm through waiting. I'm taking a group of my men and investigating what's going on. If Garrosh somehow won against our leaders, then we need to take him down now. While he's weakened."

"That won't be necessary." Said a voice from Orgrimmar's capital building. Looking at the source, everyone saw Taran Zhu, a Pandaren, coming out with Garrosh in chains. "The war is over. This monster," He raised Garrosh's chains. "Will be brought to justice in Pandaria." He then looked at the gathered crowd of Horde and Alliance soldiers. "You're leaders and champions are all fine. They will be there to participate the case of Garrosh Hellscream. They…will decide his fate." With that, Taran Zhu moved on, escorting Garrosh somewhere. Garrosh, despite being beaten, growled and glared at everyone, hate in his eyes, which was done back in kind.

"Well, that was good." Said Vereesa as Garrosh and Taran Zhu was out of their sight. "Problem now is reparations from the Horde."

"They'll pay it." Said Courier. "Only problem is deciding what much they'll pay and how." Vereesa nodded at that before looking at Chief.

"If you want your friend to make up with me properly, tell him to visit me in Dalaran." Said Vereesa before leaving to tend to her men.

"Hope Jack doesn't get kicked in the nuts again." Said Courier as he watched Vereesa leave. Chief then slapped Courier in the back of the head for that. "Okay, I deserve that."

"Cheese!" Yelled Ikit with a mouthful of cheese as he held up two wheels of cheese.

* * *

**Few days later**

**Broken Isles**

* * *

"So, Chief." Said High Elf Archer as she, Courier, and Master Chief were walking in the cave system that Kel'danath and Farodin were hiding out. "How come you had Jack and Ikit not be here and in Pandaria? Nothing much is going on anywhere. We could all be here at the moment."

"Because I've heard rumors that the remnant of Garrosh loyalists are conspiring to free him from captivity in Pandaria. Even though he doesn't have much power anymore in the Horde, he can still do some damage if he ever got out. And with his trial today, I had Ikit and Jack placed near him in case they try to make a move on him." Said Chief as he walked.

"Get that, but why not all of us?" Asked High Elf. "Be better off that way."

"I just received a transmission from Kel'danath. He needs us and to be here quickly." Said Chief. Courier, confused at that, looked at Chief.

"How come? Guy is pretty secure, and the titans got him covered. What could cause him and that other guy trouble?" Asked Courier. Before Chief could reply, they suddenly heard the sounds of lightning occurring deeper inside the cave system. Looking at each other, the three rushed toward the source.

As they ran and ran, they heard the source of lightning grew louder and more rapid, causing them to think that someone was attacking Kel'danath and Farodin, which made them increase their movement. Eventually, after some close calls with some collapsed flooring they found the source of the lightning sounds.

It was a giant tree, dark as night, and multiple branches the spread out all over the ceiling. In the middle of the trunk was a large-window like space that glowed white. And said tree was emitting lightning all over the place, nearly striking some spectres. At the base of the tree was Farodin and Kel'danath, trying to do something against the tree.

"We're here! What's the situation?" Asked Chief as the three rushed to Kel'danath, who was struggling to do something.

"Thank Elune that you arrived." Said Farodin as he turned to Chief and the others, relief in his eyes. "We bring dire news. The Arcan'dor tree…its reaching its final stage of development."

"Okay, is that a bad thing?" Asked Courier as he ducked to avoid a strike of lightning.

"Yes." Said Farodin as he looked at the tree. "Normally there wouldn't be a problem, but the tree is reacting violently. Its energies pulsing out of control."

"Why!?" Yelled High Elf as she watched a whip of energy hit a spectre, turning it into ashes.

"The Arcan'dor tree is a fusion of Arcane energy and nature. Without balance, it'll go out of control and die. Kel'danath and I fixed the nature portion of the tree, but it seems the final stage has it draining any Arcane energy that it can find." Said Farodin as he looked at the tree, spasming out of control. "Without enough energy, it might die, exploding with all the Arcane energy it build up.

"So, it goes like a nuke?" Asked Courier. Despite not knowing what a nuke is, Farodin nodded. "Well, can we fix it before it kills us!?"

"Yes, but to do so will require massive amounts of Arcane energy. Even more than what is around us. But I don't know where to acquire such amounts." Said Farodin, unsure of what to do.

"There is!" Yelled Kel'danath. "Suramar! It has the energy that we need to feed the tree!"

"But isn't that city loaded with guards and a bunch of people skilled in magic arts that can turn us into toads or some other shit?!" Yelled Courier as he recalled a story of Arcane users. None of which made him want to fight one.

"Its either that or the tree explodes and takes us with it! Along with the last hope of curing my people's addiction." Said Kel'danath as he stopped what he was doing and looked at Chief. "I beg you. Help me do this and help free my people of our dependence on the Nightwell." Staring at Kel'danath, Chief nodded before looking at High Elf and Courier.

"We're going to Suramar." Said Chief, causing them both to sigh. "If you want, you two can stay here with the tree." Chief then walked away with Kel'danath.

"Oh no. I'm not missing out on this." Said High Elf as she ran after them.

"Well, might as well go." Said Courier as he ran after them too.

"Please hurry, travelers!" Yelled Farodin as he stayed behind to take care of the tree. "Otherwise, all that will be left of this place will be a crater."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**N'Zoth**

* * *

"Yes." Said N'Zoth as he sucked the last amounts of energy from Y'Shaarj's heart. Even now, the last strength of Y'Shaarj was fueling his strength, making him even stronger. "With the last vestige of your power, I will ascend and achieve the goal of the void. A pity that you cannot see it come to reality. But that is the price you pay for your lack of vision and forethought." With that last statement, the last powers from Y'Shaarj's heart was sapped from it. As a result, the heart dissipated into nothing, finally bringing to an end to Y'Shaarj and his dark legacy.

With the last vestige of power from the heart taken, N'Zoth could feel his influence grow. Already, he felt his chains weakening, struggling to contain his growing power. Yet despite that, they held. The Titans have thought ahead.

"Even with my increased power, my chains will not break." Said N'Zoth, a hint of respect in his voice. "No matter, Y'Shaarj last sacrifice will not be in vain. With his power, I will bring more followers to my cause. Followers that have already felt our touch. They will add nicely to my might." With that N'Zoth began the necessary preparation to convert people that have felt the Old God's touch to his cause and his alone.


	15. Chapter 15

**R reyes- Well the Skaven have always been comical (dark, but comical nonetheless), I just increased it a bit.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Suramar**

* * *

"Well, got to give your people props, Kel'danath." Said Courier as the four snuck into Suramar through a gap in the barrier that kept Suramar safe from the outside world. "You people know how to make something nice."

"Thank you." Said Kel'danath as he led them all to where they needed to go, keeping an eye out for any guards. "If we succeed, you may see more in the future in other parts of Azeroth."

"If we succeed." Said Chief as he also kept an eye out for guards. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Underneath the city, there are leylines that power the city. Well those leylines used to connect to other portions of the region. One of which is the underground cave that the Arcan'dor tree is found." Said Kel'danath as he led them down a flight of stairs, placing them side to side from a river.

"So, if we connect the this leyline system to the Arcan'dor tree, it'll feed it with the energy it needs?" Asked Courier as they walked underground via an entrance under a walkway.

"Hopefully." Said Kel'danath as he led them deeper and deeper underground.

"Motion trackers aren't flaring up." Said Chief as he had his weapon ready. Looking around, he saw the place was in disrepair. Broken doors everywhere and spider webs all over the place. "Is this part of the city abandoned?"

"We rarely come here. Our automations usually do the maintenance for us. We only come down if we suspect criminals are down here or if a problem in the leylines needs a mage." Explained Kel'danath as he took them to where they need to go.

"Yeah, so what's the plan when we get there?" Asked Courier as they approached some big doors. "I can't imagine what we need is going to be taken quietly."

"No." Said Kel'danath as he walked towards a large door, more maintained than the ones before. "In order to maximize the amount of Arcane energy that we can divert to the Arcan'dor tree, we'll have to create a massive surge in the leylines here." He then opened the door, revealing a large chamber with a trio of power generators. "And to do that, we have to create a mana storm right here."

"Uh a mana storm? Call me stupid, but isn't that…dangerous?" Asked Courier.

"Oh yes." Said Kel'danath as he walked toward the generators. "You get caught in it and you'll be ripped apart. And we have to create a mana storm right in this chamber in order to do pull this off." He then put a hand on his chin. "First off, I need to bring revitalize the old leyline systems in order to transfer Arcane energy from Suramar to the leylines near the Arcan'dor systems. I also have to seal off some sections of the leylines in order to prevent the excess energy from flooding into the streets and to transfer more energy to the tree. On top of all that, we need to run. Fast, if we want to live."

"How much time do you need?" Asked Chief as he looked for any Nightborne that might stumble on them.

"At least thirty minutes." Said Kel'danath. "Don't worry, they'll only figure what we're doing when we conduct the manastorm. And by that time, the process will be irreversible. We just need to run when its casted."

"Okay, you do all this stuff while we just sit back and play cards. Right?" Asked Courier as he looked at Kel'danath.

"Yes." Said Kel'danath as he went to work. "I hope you have something to do while I do all this."

"I got several decks of Caravan." Said Courier as he brought out three sets of cards. "Want me to teach you guys how to play?"

"Caravan?" Asked High Elf curiously as she looked at the set of cards. "What is it?"

Chief, not wanting to participate, just left the room to keep an eye out for any Nightborne or robots.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Twenty-five minutes later**

* * *

"***Sighs* **Honestly, Thalyssra, you should give up." Said a Nightborne woman as she looked at Thalyssra, who was pinching the base of her nose. Once again, Thalyssra had tried to convince Elisande to remove the barrier and allow the Nightborne to expand their domains. And once again, she failed. "You tried for years to convince Elisande to lower the barrier. If the first few times didn't work, what makes you think that the seven thousandth time will work?"

"I can't give up, Valtrois." Said Thalyssra as she looked at her pompous friend, who sighed. Unlike Thalyssra, Valtrois wore more extravagant clothing with piece of armor around her shoulders. "You know as well as I that it needs to happen soon. It's only a matter of time before our streets are overflowing with Nightborne. Do you want your children to be bumping into other children? Do you want more than one child?" Valtrois sighed again.

"Look Thalyssra, I want to expand Suramar as much as you do, I really do, but how the heck are we going to convince Elisande of that? Because she has the foresight of Azshara when it comes to the need of the people." Said Valtrois. "Way I see it, the only way to get your way is to depose Elisande and for you to become the next leader of our people." Thalyssra glared at her friend for that suggestion.

"That is the last thing that our people need." Said Thalyssra. "A coup will only make things worse for us. It'll divide us even further and cause so much death and destruction. And a duel will still have the same problem. It'll divide us between those that support me and those that support Elisande."

"Well…alright, I got nothing." Said Valtrois. "But seriously, Thalyssra, you should give up. Elisande is getting more and more irritated with your suggestions. I wouldn't be surprised is you would suddenly end up be accused of treason and sent into exile as a result." Thalyssra, though fearing this, was about to open her mouth to speak when Valtrois perked up.

"Hold up." Said Valtrois as she went out of her home and out to the streets of Suramar. Looking to her right, she went over to a vent on the end of a street and examined it.

"What are you doing, Valtrois?" Asked Thalyssra as she went over to her friend. Her question was then answered when she saw the vent glow. Fainter than usual.

"Something isn't right. The leylines are creating less Arcane energy than normal." Said Valtrois as she examined the vent. "Something or someone is messing with the generators. If this keeps up, in a matter of minutes, the…"

"Our city will lose power." Whispered Thalyssra in horror.

"Exactly." Said Valtrois as she got up. She then saw a group of Nightwatch guards passing by them and yelled out. "Guards! Gather what men you can get and follow us to the power generators! There's an issue that we have to address!" Surprised at this, upon seeing Valtrois, the guards scrambled to follow her orders.

"**Who would want to do this?"** Thought Thalyssra as she wondered who would want to do this to Suramar.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Three full Caravans!" Yelled Courier as he placed a 10 on his last stack, giving him three full caravans.

"Oh come on!" Yelled High Elf as she tossed her cards on the ground. "How did you do that!? That's the fifth time! Did you stack your cards or something!?"

"***Chuckles*** Its all in strategy kid." Said Courier as he gathered his cards and shuffled his deck again. "In Caravan, there's no rules against having only three numbered cards that can add up to twenty-six." As High Elf complained, Kel'danath finished his final modifications to the leylines.

"Okay, some vents are sealed, power transfer to the tree's leylines are complete. Now we just have to conduct the storm." Said Kel'danath as he looked at Courier and High Elf. "Ready to run?"

"Yup." Said Courier as he put his decks back into his pip boy.

"Uh…how long do we have to run?" Asked High Elf as she saw Kel'danath ready to cast a spell.

"Just run." Said Kel'danath. "We might be able to escape if we run fast enough."

"Oh that fills me with so much confidence." Mumbled High Elf as Kel'danath cast the spell. Soon, clouds appeared and lightning lashed out from them.

"Now we run!" Yelled Kel'danath as he ran past them, causing them to follow him. "Where is Master Chief?"

"Left to guard the outer perimeter!" Yelled Courier. "Don't worry, he'll be safe. The guy isn't stupid like us!"

"Hey!" Yelled High Elf as she looked at Courier. Before she could yell at him, she heard some footsteps rapidly approaching. "I'm hearing people. They're coming here!"

"Blast!" Yelled Kel'danath as he too heard the footsteps. "We can't let them in there. They'll die! We have to stop them!"

"Stop them!?" Yelled Courier. "We're far enough from that storm to be safe from it right?"

"Absolutely." Said Kel'danath, lying a bit. "Now please. Help me stop my people from dying!"

"Oh you insufferable…" Nevertheless, High Elf and Courier decided to help Kel'danath and the trio rushed to where the footsteps were coming from. After a minute of running, they were surprised to find four Nightborne, weapons or magic at the ready, confronting Chief, who had a Nightborne woman's hands on his helmet, grasping it gently as Arcane energy flowed around her hands.

* * *

**Several minutes ago**

**Thalyssra**

* * *

"You." Said Thalyssra as she glared at Chief, who aimed both his rifle and pistol out, aimed at her and Valtrois. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's necessary for your people." Said Chief as he aimed his weapons at the mages. The other Nightborne were holding out weapons. Though Chief wasn't sure if they had magic as well, he had to prioritize both Thalyssra and the other female Nightborne.

Valtrois, surprised at what Thalyssra said, looked at her.

"Thalyssra, you know this…thing?" Asked Valtrois, surprised at this…man. One for it wasn't a Nightborne criminal, like she thought, and two it meant that there was other life outside Suramar.

"I'll explain later, Valtrois." Said Thalyssra. "For now, we have bigger issues at the moment." She then went back to glaring at Chief, who stood stoic. "I'll ask this once, why are you attempting to sabotage our ability to produce power for our city?"

"Its for your people." Said Master Chief as he chooses his words carefully. Even a single wrong word could have disastrous consequences. "There's a way to cure your people of their addiction to the Nightwell. But in order for it to work, we need large amounts of Arcane energy. And the only way to get that energy is to use your city's power generators." Upon hearing that, the Nightborne looked at each other.

They all knew of their people's addiction to the Nightwell. What the addiction has brought upon them. To hear that there was something that can cure them of that left them a bit hesitant.

Pursing her lips, Thalyssra looked at Chief, who stood motionless, weapons at the ready, and giving away nothing.

"If this is true, you'll be fine with subjecting yourself for a simple lie detection. As well as figuring out why you're doing this." Said Thalyssra as she dispelled the magic in her hands. Valtrois and the guards looked at Thalyssra in shock.

"Thalyssra!" Yelled Valtrois as she protested it, but Thalyssra just raised a hand up.

"Trust me Valtrois." Said Thalyssra as she cautiously went up to Chief, who lowered his weapons a bit.

"If that'll get you to stand down, then do it." Said Chief as he holstered his weapons. Thalyssra, nodding, went over to Chief and placed her hands on both sides of his helmet. "Don't try to do anything else than checking if I'm lying and my intentions." Thalyssra raised an eyebrow at that.

"Can you detect such acts?" Asked Thalyssra, somewhat skeptical this John-117 knows what she can do.

"Do you want to find out?" Asked Chief, not exactly threatening, but Thalyssra could sense that he was ready to hurt her if she tried to do anything other than checking if he was lying.

"Very well." Said Thalyssra before casting a lie detection spell on Chief as well as checking his memories. It only took her a minute before she figured out that Chief was telling the truth and that it was indeed for the benefit of her people. Another minute and she figured out how he came to that conclusion. Prying her hands away, she looked at Chief.

"So, Kel'danath truly found a way to rid us of our addiction to the Nightwell." Said Thalyssra, a bit stunned that Kel'danath found a cure. Or at least something that he believed can cure them. Chief nodded at that as Thalyssra ordered her men to stand down. Reluctantly, but trusting the First Arcanist, they stood down. Now that the situation was diffused, Valtrois walked up.

"So, Kel'danath found a cure?" Asked Valtrois, looking at Thalyssra, who nodded.

"Yes. He believes at least." Said Thalyssra. "But it involves that use of Suramar's Arcane energy to provide the energy that his cure needs. He and his compatriots are trying to minimize the collateral damage. Speaking of them," Thalyssra then looked behind Master Chief to see a tiny elf, a Nightfallen, and another being wearing green and brown armor. "These must be your compatriots."

"They are." Said Chief before turning to them. "They're not here to harm us. Stand down."

"Yeah, we get that." Said Courier as the three walked up to Chief and Thalyssra. Looking at the Nightborne woman, he then looked at Chief. "This is the woman you spoke about? She's quite attractive." Courier then received an kick to the shin from High elf for that. "Sorry."

"None taken." Said Thalyssra as she looked at the Nightfallen, knowing who it was. "Kel'danath. I see you have managed to reach the fruit of your labor. And found a way past the barrier. May I ask how?"

"Its relatively easy to find crack and holes in the barrier. Especially in parts of our city that have been neglected by Elisande." Said Kel'danath before looking at Valtrois and scowling. "I was hoping to avoid seeing your pompous friend, Thalyssra."

"Oh, Kel'danath." Said Valtrois, hearing that remark. "And here I was hoping that you would have died in the first few days of your exile. I knew it was too much to ask for. Well, at least you now look more handsomer. Guess being without Arcwine did you some good in the looks department." Kel'danath scowled more at that. Before he could speak, High Elf spoke.

"Uh, hate to interrupt this reunion, but generator and mana storm going off? Got to run." Said High Elf as she pointed quickly to the exit.

"Manastorm? What are you…Kel'danath you didn't." Said Thalyssra as she glared at Kel'danath, who shrugged.

"I'll explain later but we must move!" Yelled Kel'danath.

"***Scoffs*** You and your crazy ideas." Said Valtrois before teleporting everyone out of the underground sections of Suramar and to a teleportation room in Suramar. Not too long after she did, a massive explosion shook the entire city, sending a few of them off their feet.

Thalyssra would have been among them if it weren't for Chief catching her and holding her up.

"You okay?" Asked Chief as he held Thalyssra's shoulders. The Nightborne woman nodded before Chief let go. Dusting herself, she glared at Kel'danath.

"You better hope that explosion didn't hurt or kill anyone, Kel'danath. Or else I won't be merciful like the last time." Said Thalyssra, baring her fangs are Kel'danath, who simply bowed.

"I wouldn't forgive myself either, Thalyssra." Said Kel'danath. "If anyone did die from it, I'll personally hand myself over to whatever punishment Elisande give me. But for now, I need to see if my plan worked. Give me a few hours to verify that it worked. Once I'm sure it worked, I'll come back and hand myself over to the authorities. Please, Thalyssra. Give me this chance." Thalyssra, sighing, looked at Valtrois, who shrugged.

"Well, he always was looking out for our benefit and its not like we got much to lose. Get him his shot, Thalyssra. If it'll help, I'll take a few members of the Duskwatch to keep an eye on Kel'danath and his compatriots. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself." Looking at her friend, Thalyssra closed her eyes and sighed again.

"Alright, Kel'danath. I'll give you a chance." Said Thalyssra. "But I would like to visit this cure you supposedly found. To see if it truly can fix our addiction." Kel'danath, shocked to hear that, nonetheless nodded.

"Very well." Said Kel'danath. "This won't take long. And I guarantee you, you won't be disappointed with what we've found." Thalyssra nodded at that.

"I hope so, Kel'danath. For your sake."

* * *

**An hour later**

**Arcan'dor tree**

* * *

"My god, its so…beautiful." Said High Elf Archer as she looked at the fully mature Arcan'dor tree, now with completely white bark, and a healthy blue window-like crystal at its trunk. Its various branches held dark purple fruit that hanged all over them.

"Normally I'm not one to be impressed but, by the nightwell, this tree is gorgeous. And fascinating." Said Valtrois as she walked over to the tree. "Even from this distance, I can feel the Arcane energy being mixed with something else. I've never heard of such things. Oh, if only I can take it apart and study it."

"Do that, and you'll destroy the only hope of curing our addiction." Said Kel'danath as he went over to the fruit. Looking over at Farodin, he spoke. "I just eat a fruit and I'll be cured?"

"That is the intention." Said Farodin. "However, I do not know if it'll work the way you intended it to. I've never seen the Arcan'dor tree in this stage before. Let us hope it doesn't have any unintended consequences."

"Unless they're good consequences, like extra magic powers or something like that." Said Courier, recalling all the times that he mysteriously gained powers as he traveled the wasteland of the Mojave.

"Whatever consequences there are, I'll be the first to bare them." Said Kel'danath. "This is my experiment. I should be the first to be the lab rat. So we can figure out if this was just a fools errand or not."

"He always was selfless." Said Valtrois as she whispered to Thalyssra, who nodded. As they watched Kel'danath eat the fruit, they stood ready in case he transformed into some mindless beast or something else entirely.

At first, nothing happened, but then they saw Kel'danath morph and twist into his old self again. As Kel'danath grunted in pain at the transformation, the others watched in astonishment as he transformed back in his pre-Nightfallen state, baring the same traits as other Nightborne males. Tall, slim, and quite handsome.

"I see you've returned back to your old self again, Kel'danath." Said Thalyssra as she inched closer, motioning her guards to stand down. Groaning, Kel'danath looked at himself to see if anything was wrong.

"It seems that way." Said Kel'danath as he rolled his shoulders. "The transformation back…I had no idea it would be so painful."

"I could imagine." Said Valtrois as she too came closer with Chief and Courier. "So…you feel any need for Arcwine? Or a connection to the Nightwell?"

"Surprisingly, no." Said Kel'danath. "I mean, I still feel the faint presence of the Nightwell, but its not as what it used to. I don't feel like I need its presence constantly anymore. I think my hard work paid off. We've found a cure to our addiction." He then looked at the Arcan'dor tree. "Elisande will be pleased to hear about this."

"I suppose." Said Thalyssra as she looked at the tree, marveling at its beauty. "Perhaps this will finally convince her to lower the barrier and let us explore Azeroth once more."

"Your leader is causing trouble?" Asked Chief, looking at Thalyssra, who nodded.

"She believes it be best for us to remain in Suramar only. She thinks that the world is devastated from the Burning legion invasion and that Suramar is the only fertile place left of the world." Explained Thalyssra. "But I've seen the world, or at least parts of it. Its still fertile and ripe for colonization. Is it not?"

"Yeah, it is." Said Courier as he too looked at Thalyssra. "Lots of people and lots of animals around in different pieces of land. Don't know about this Burning Legion business, but the world is safe for your kind. And to make it sweeter, the Nightelves are still around." Thalyssra perked her ears up at that.

"Our brethren are still alive?" Asked Thalyssra in surprise. She thought they had all died during the Burning Legion invasion.

"Yeah, led by some chick named Tyrande. Know her?" Asked Courier.

"Yes, she was the leader of the Sisterhood of Elune." Said Thalyssra, a bit stunned that the priest was the leader of their former people now. "Tell me, are they thriving? They aren't in danger of being extinct?"

"Well, I can tell you what we know, which isn't much. But what we do know is that they're allied with a superpower called the Alliance. They're a bunch of different races allied together for mutual protection. An attack on one race is an attack on all." Explained Courier. "We can tell you more if Kel'danath keeps his promise."

"Promise?" Asked Thalyssra as she looked at Kel'danath. "What promise?"

"I promised them that, in exchange for their help, I'll help ally the Shal'dorei with them. Helping them with whatever things they need aid for." Said Kel'danath.

"We need allies in this world, ma'am." Said Chief. "My group numbers under the dozen. If we are to survive we need allies without allying with the Alliance or Horde."

"And we were the easiest to acquire, correct?" Asked Valtrois, looking at Chief and his expressionless helmet.

"Yes." Said Chief. "But that doesn't mean we didn't sympathize with your plight."

"Yeah." Said High Elf, joining the conversation. "Just because we could gain something out of it, doesn't mean we also want to help you out of sympathy and common decency."

"I mean, it helps both parties, didn't it?" Asked Courier.

"But it seems that you get the most out of it." Said Valtrois. "You may help out with our addiction problem, but for all we know, you might drag us into a war that'll destroy our city."

"We won't do that." Said Chief. "We're not going to cause a war with the Alliance or the Horde. We just want to survive." Thalyssra, looking at Chief and eyeing his posture, stayed silent as she attempted to discern his intentions. Eventually, she spoke.

"I believe him." Said Thalyssra, causing Valtrois to look at her in shock. "He's right. If this Alliance is as powerful as they say and they're numbers are really that low, then it'd be foolhardy to commit to a war with the Alliance. Even with our aid." She then twitched her ears. "Besides, I have a feeling that you don't want to stay on Azeroth. Correct?"

"Correct. We're not from here and we want to go back to our homes." Said Chief as he looked at Thalyssra, who simply bowed.

"Very well, I'll…help with making your deal with Kel'danath a reality." Said Thalyssra. "Elisande may not like it at first, but I'm sure that you can sway her opinion around if you help us."

"Great. More odd jobs." Said High Elf. "Nothing is ever easy."

"Never is, little elf." Said Valtrois, causing High Elf to go red with rage.

"Why you, old…." She couldn't say anymore as Courier grabbed her mouth and held her back.

"Easy, elf." Said Courier. "Calm down. Let's not piss of the elf with magic powers that can turn us into toads or puppies."

"Puppies? Toads? What are those?" Asked Valtrois as she looked at Courier and High Elf, the latter kicking her legs in protest. Ignoring this, Chief looked at Thalyssra.

"If it'll help, we'll plead our case to Elisande ourselves." Said Chief.

"I don't think she'll be pleased to see outsiders in Suramar." Said Thalyssra as she placed a hand on her chin. "She, to put it mildly, looked down upon the lower classes of our society. I doubt she'll make an exception with you and your group."

"We must try." Said Kel'danath. "What are we if we can't keep a simple promise to a group of people that risked their very lives for the betterment of our people?"

"***Sighs*** I know." Said Thalyssra. "But I want you to know, this will be an uphill battle."

"I know." Said Chief as he looked at Thalyssra's beautiful eyes. "But I'm willing to fight it." Thalyssra looked at Chief, respect for him growing.

"Then I'll try to help you in this fight." Said Thalyssra as she told him what they need to do.

* * *

**Two days later**

**Thalyssra's estate**

* * *

"We're in the process of negotiating with the Nightborne at becoming their allies and vice versa." Said Chief as he spoke with Jack from Thalyssra's own estate. The barrier, combined with the long distance from the Broken Isles and Pandaria, was causing a lot of static, but he could still hear Jack after they managed to install a radio inside the barrier. Thalyssra was a little annoyed at seeing such an ugly piece of machinery in her home, but allowed it as it enabled them to speak with the outside world.

"That's great." Said Jack as he looked at the Horde and Alliance leaders arguing over who gets to be Garrosh's defendant and accuser with the Pandarian leadership. "Hope you guys are doing than us because we have only arguing and arguing."

"That bad?" Asked Courier as he listened in.

"Yeah, we're still arguing on how gets to defend Garrosh and who gets to be his accuser." Said Jack as he looked at Vereesa, who sighed and was looking away from the undead elf within the Horde's ranks.

"I knew we should have been the ones to axe that crazy fool." Said Courier. "Maybe we could have prevented all that bickering."

"You and me both." Said Jack as he sighed. "Anyway, nothing to report. Vereesa and I haven't detected anything in the perimeter and Ikit, when he's not stuffing his mouth with cheese, says there's no signs on infiltration in the temple. I'll let you know more when we actually get some progress."

"Got it. Stay safe." Said Chief before cutting the transmission. He then looked at High Elf, who was admiring all the beauty in Thalyssra's own estate. She had allowed them to stay within it as she needed to explain to Elisande the whole story and to convince her to give them an audience. So they were staying her until they get their audience with the Nightborne leader.

"Perks of being a First Arcanist, huh." Said High Elf as she looked at the lake that Thalyssra's estate was overlooking. "Its beautiful. One thing that us elves have in common is that we have a knack of making beautiful scenery and art."

"Yeah." Said Courier as he looked around "I guess you guys do." High Elf smirked as she examined a vase within the estate.

"So, you think Elisande will give us that audience?" Asked High Elf.

"Considering what Thalyssra told us about her while on our way here, I don't think so." Said Courier. While on their way to the estate, Thalyssra told them about Elisande. She was basically a pompous arrogant woman that thought lowly of the lower class in her city. If it weren't for her skills in leadership, she would have been deposed long ago. "That Thalyssra seems to know her way around politics though. So maybe she can convince her."

"We can only hope." Said Chief as he checked his assault rifle. "If they refuse to help us, then that's that. We can't force them to help us. We just have to make due with what we got."

"That sucks." Said Courier as he rubbed his neck. "Well, its not like I'm used to it. Anyone up for Caravan?"

"I'm not going to lose again!" Yelled High Elf as she glared at Courier, who chuckled as he brought out his Caravan decks.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Thalyssra**

* * *

"So, not only did you ignore my orders for traveling outside the barrier." Seethed Elisande as she glared at her First Arcanist, Valtrois and Kel'danath by her side. "You brought this traitor back into our city, allowed him to use our previous city's power for his own gains, and made contact with inferior whelps! And you made a deal with them! Arcanist Thalyssra, you better have a good argument for your actions because if you don't, I'll personally turn you into dust for all these transgressions!" As other Arcanists and nobles looked at either Thalyssra or Elisande, Thalyssra took a deep breath and spoke.

"With respect, Grand Magistrix, my actions were for the betterment of our people. And so have Kel'danaths'. He managed to find a way to cure our people of our addiction to the Nightwell. Not only that, but he managed to garner support from a group of outsiders. Without their aid, Kel'danath would not have been able to find this cure." Said Thalyssra. "They only ask for our support in the future. And not in a military capacity."

"For now." Argued one Arcanist. "Besides, these outsiders, according to you, number only a dozen. Why should we help such a weak group of people?"

"Because they risk their lives for the betterment of Azeroth and our own people. One of them helped me acquire the seed that grew the tree that is the key to our salvation. Without his help, we wouldn't have it. Not only that, but Thalyssra has delved into the mind of their leader. Their intentions are simply for their survival and for our betterment. They're…surprisingly moral for a group of people that need to do what they must to survive."

"And that may include betraying us." Said another noble. Though a few, mumbled on what to do.

"At least hear them out, Grand Magistrix." Said Thalyssra. "Though they used our resources to make their dream a reality, they are pale compared to what we could gain from the tree." Elisande sneered, but looked at her advisors.

"What say you all?" Asked Elisande as she looked at her advisors. Advisor Melandrus, loyal to Elisande, spoke.

"While I believe that both Kel'danath and Thalyssra could have done a better job at doing their…side project, I think we should give these people an audience. From what we've been told, they're quite resourceful. They may be of a lesser race, but they can be useful tools." Though Thalyssra frowned at that term, she stayed silent, not wishing to incur the wrath of some of Elisande's advisors.

"I say no. These beings may have caused serious damage to Suramar." Said Advisor Vandros. "They may have killed some of our people with their actions. Though no one was hurt, they still could have caused great damage to our city. Our way of life."

"I agree with giving them a chance, Grand Magistrix." Said Chief Telemancer Oculeth, a friend to Thalyssra and sympathetic to her plight. "By all accounts, what they did was for the greater good of our people, similar to what we did during the war with the Burning Legion." Some winced at the reminder of the demons. "Besides, if what Thalyssra said about the outside world is true, then the world is safe for us once again. The demons are gone and we an finally rid ourselves of the restrictions we placed on us as of late. Like the birth control laws." Other nobles perked up at that. As other nobles and advisors gave their opinions, some for giving the outsiders an audience or to deny them, Elisande looked at Thalyssra, who starred back.

Pursing her lips, Elisande made up her mind. Once her advisors were done, she spoke.

"Thank you all for giving me your opinions." Said Elisande as she looked at everyone. "Though I believe that Thalyssra should have given me this information before hand, her heart was in the right place. And, so to honor the deal that Kel'danath made to these outsiders, I'll give them an audience." She then looked at Thalyssra. "Bring them forth and I'll judge to see if they're worthy of being allies of the Shal'dorei." Thalyssra, happy at what went down, bowed in respect before teleporting out of there. After a few minutes, Thalyssra came back with Chief, Courier, and High Elf.

A few nobles were surprised to see such a young elf before them and with a different complexion, but they were even more surprised to see the intimidating armor the other two beings wore. Though some looked at their armor disdainfully, seeing it as ugly and inelegant, others were impressed with how intimidating they looked, especially the helmets.

"These are the beings." Said Thalyssra before extending a hand out to Master Chief. "This is John-117, leader of them."

"An honor to meet you, Grand Magistrix." Said Chief as he slightly gave a bow to Elisande, recalling the plan with Courier. Be a bit cordial, no matter how insufferable the woman was. "We're honored that you gave us an audience."

"Heh, you should be." Said Elisande, looking at the group and was unimpressed with them. "You have the honor of seeing the pinnacle of Nightelf civilization. No outsiders have seen it since the Burning Legion came and ravaged Azeroth. Until now." She then glared at them all. "I've been told that you all have been helping Kel'danath with finding a cure to our addiction to the Nightwell in exchange for future cooperation between your group and the Shal'dorei. Tell me, why should I, the Grand Magistrix of Suramar, honor this deal?" Chief, looking at Courier, motioned for him to speak, knowing that he was the best suited for this. Nodding, he went up and spoke.

"Well, for starters, the outside world is kind of in turmoil." Said Courier. "Kel'danath may have told you about them, but the Alliance is currently in hot waters with another superpower called the Horde, a coalition of races that protect each other in case of invasion or war. Their most recent war with each other ended with the capture of the Horde leader, but I don't know if another war between the two will start again. And, considering you're just one city, you'll need allies to prevent both sides from trying to get you on their side."

"And why should we worry about these powers?" Asked Vandros. "According to Kel'danath, they're on another continent, far away from us. Why should be worry about being dragged into their affairs."

"Resources, sir." Said Courier, turning to the advisor. "One of the most key factors that'll determine if you're worth the effort of attempting to join their side. And you got lots of things both factions want." Courier then held up one finger. "First, you're magic. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you guys have advanced your understanding of Arcane magic since the, forgive me if I get this wrong, Sundering. While both factions have understanding in Arcane magic, my guess its inferior to your level of understanding. They'll want that for their own ends, both in advancing their magical arts and to increase the power of their military." A few military advisors nodded at that, finding the man's argument to be logical. Courier then brought up another finger.

"Another thing is your Nightwell. It's a well of immense magic power. That alone will make both parties want you on their side." Said Courier. "And final thing, they can use Suramar as a sort of port or base in the Broken Isles. Don't know if this place is rich in resources, but even if it isn't, they can use this place as a way to expand their influence in the region. I can list of more if you want, but I think that's sufficient in convincing you that both factions will not leave you alone, despite how far the Broken Isles is from them." Every Nightborne looked at each other, convinced by the Courier's words.

"Thank you." Said Elisande. "You've…given us much to consider. But moving on, why should we ally with you. You're a group of a mere handful of individuals. Why should we ally with you instead?"

"Because, unlike both factions, we won't drag you into any war we make." Said Courier. "We'll only do it if the war affects you in any way, shape, or form. For example, say a pirate group has been affecting you guys after you lower the barrier, we'll ask for you're help in eliminating them. Or just give their location so you can do it yourself. Another thing is that we can provide you with information of both Horde and Alliance. At the moment, we're, sort of, in good terms with some of their leaders. We can use that information to help you in times of need. Say, one Alliance leader wants to impose sanctions against you, we can give you dirt on him that'll cause him to lift those sanctions. And final thing, why on earth would we want to upset you all? You're a bunch of elves with the power of magic on your side. Magic that can wipe the floor out of any of our group if we give you the chance. I'd rather have that on my side rather than on my enemies." Elisande and the other Nightborne began to mumble amongst themselves.

After a few minutes, Elisande spoke.

"And why should we lift the barrier? It has kept us safe from harm for ten thousand years. Why should we lift it now after so long?" Asked Elisande.

"Lots of reasons." Said Courier. "One, it'll allow you have trade with the other races around the world. While I'm sure that there aren't much things in the world that you people will want, I'm also sure there's a few things that you do want, like food or cultural items. Second thing is that you'll want is to expand your city to even greater heights. This city is great, grand, and pretty, but it could be even greater if you made it bigger. Plus, since you guys kept this barrier around for ten thousand years, I bet you guys are suffering from an overpopulation problem. So much so, that you have a one child policy, right?" He then looked at Thalyssra, who nodded. "Don't you all want to have more kids? After all, some of you are nobles. What happens if that kid gets into a serious accident and is unable to work in politics? You'll still let them be head of your house? Even if you are immortal?"

The nobles looked at each other, silently agreeing with the Courier.

"There's also the fact that, you can show the world the grandness of the Nightelf empire, back in its glory days. Don't you want to show the world the grandeur of the Nightelf empire? How you can guide them to a higher understanding in life." Said Courier, ending his little talk. Looking around, he can see the Nightborne slowly, but surely, being swayed by his words. Even Elisande was swayed a bit.

"I must admit." Said Elisande after a minute, a hint of respect in her voice. "I thought you outsiders know nothing of politics, but it seems one of you knows their way with words. Still, your words, have weight in them. I'll speak with my advisors more about this. Thalyssra, take them back to your estate, but come back as soon as possible. I need you and Valtrois. This meeting is in recess." With that, Elisande left with her top advisors. They were soon followed by everyone else, leaving team Sigma alone with Thalyssra, Valtrois, and Kel'danath.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Said Valtrois, a bit stunned at Courier's ability to sway Elisande. Very few were able to do such a thing. "You sure know how to speak."

"You have no idea how many times I've been able to stop a fight with words." Said Courier with a smirk underneath his helmet. "Sometimes, its better to use words than guns to get what you want. Learned that during my travels in the wasteland." He then turned to Chief. "Not that there's anything wrong with fighting instead. Sometimes violence is the answer too."

"I would disagree, but I feel like that is correct as well." Said Thalyssra as she looked at Chief. "I will teleport you all to my estate. Feel free to make yourselves at home. Just…don't damage anything there, please."

"We'll be at our best behavior." Said Chief, making Thalyssra smile. She then teleported them to her estate before teleporting herself back to the Nighthold.

"Let us see what Elisande's verdict is." Said Thalyssra before leading the other two Arcanists to Elisande's chambers.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Pandaria**

**Temple of the White Tiger**

* * *

"Cheese. Must have more cheese." Said Ikit Claw he snuck to the kitchen within the Temple of the White Tiger, where Garrosh Hellscream's trial was taking place. Ikit disagreed with having a trial for the stupid brown-skin, finding it a waste of time, but Courier explained to him that it wasn't his decisions or theirs. It was both the Alliance and Horde. Thought Ikit said they were all stupid, Courier told him to keep it to himself and indulge himself on cheese, which was being provided in abundance for the trial, along with all other sweet food.

Though he already ate his lunch, along with everyone else, Ikit still craved for cheese. So while, everyone else was attending Garrosh's latest section for his crimes, Ikit snuck away to find more cheese. The sweet substance was unlike anything he ate back in Skavenblight. Even the Council of thirteen would kill an entire continent for this sweet substance. He wondered how much praise he would get if he brought the secrets of making cheese back to Skavenblight.

Imagining the praise, Ikit nearly missed the conversation between two Pandarian. Blinking, Ikit listened in, finding he can ignore his hunger at the moment. The Pandarian, along with the other races on Azeroth, confused and intrigued Ikit. They were unlike the races back in his world. Unlike the Orcs of his world, the Orcs here were weaker and less stupid. They also, apparently, gave birth to live young and not fungal like his Orcs. They also had breeders and they send them out to the field, like stupid elf-things, who were ironically the most like the elves of his world. Arrogant and stupid. Not matter what.

These Pandaren, however, were unlike anything he'd seen. He recalled seeing a species like them back in the Eastern lands, but they didn't talk nor walk on two legs. It intrigued him and it made him wonder if he should bring a few back for Clan Moulder, so they can experiment on them. They were always looking for new species to experiment on.

"The Celestials must put the Orc to death." Argued one Pandaren. "He has done so much death and destruction. He does not deserve to live."

"Everyone has the spark of good in them." Said another Pandaren. "Everyone deserves a second chance. We should not deny Garrosh that chance, not matter how much death he's caused."

"The Alliance and Horde will not allow him to live." Said the first Pandaren.

"It does not matter." Said the second Pandaren. "The Celestials will be the ones to decide his fate and they will give him a pardon. They believe no one is above redemption and I believe it too. Garrosh can be redeemed. We must give him the chance to do so. If we take away that chance, we're no better than what the Alliance and Horde accuse Garrosh of." As the two Pandaren argued, Ikit left them alone, angry at what he heard.

"**Must-must find evidence of this."** Thought Ikit as he went to the Pandarian only section of the temple. **"If stupid-Orc not going to be killed, then must tell others."**

* * *

**Few hours later**

**Jack**

* * *

"Relax Vereesa, Garrosh will get what is coming to him." Said Jack as Vereesa paced around in the room that was given to her. It was small, but Vereesa didn't mind, she lived on worse. "The evidence is just too strong for the Pandaren to let him go."

"You don't know that, Jack." Said Vereesa, looking at the human, his helmet gone, revealing his rugged, handsome looks. "The Pandaren keep defending Garrosh's actions. Even after they showed Theramore, even after they showed… Rhonin's sacrifice." Vereesa began to tear up, causing Jack to look down at the floor. "They still sympathized with Garrosh. They're planning to let him go. Let him go! After all that monster did, they're going to let him go! I can't let them happen! Not after what he did!"

She was referring to the latest section with Garrosh. Even after they showed what Garrosh did to Theramore, the Pandarian judges looked unmoved and simply said that Garrosh was justified in destroying Theramore. That pissed off Baine, Varian, Jaina, and a whole lot of others, including Jack. It pissed off so many people that Taran Zhu called for a recess in order for people to cool off. Jack, seeing how pissed Vereesa was, went after her to help calm her down. Though she was annoyed with it, she felt a bit touched by it. A part of her wanted to still hurt him though, but she promised that Courier mate to try to reconcile with Jack without hurting him, so she stayed her hand.

"I hear you." Said Jack. "I want that Orc dead as much as you, but what can we do? Assassinate him? That'll just rationalize his loyal followers and we'll be facing another war again. And I don't think either the Alliance and Horde can afford that."

"So, it's better that we let that monster go?" Demanded Vereesa, glaring at Jack. "So, he can do it all over again?"

"I'm not saying that." Said Jack. "We're in a difficult situation. One wrong move and we'll be facing a war. If we let him live, Garrosh will go off and recruit more Orcs to his crazy idea of equality. But if we kill Garrosh, during or even after the trial, we may rationalize his loyal followers, who may become even worse than him." He then sighed, causing Vereesa to calm down a bit. "These things are beyond what I'm used to. I'm more used to just shooting and fighting. Not doing politics." He then laid on Vereesa's bed. Seeing how exhausted Jack was, Vereesa stopped and laid besides Jack.

"Never had to deal with this sort of thing before?" Asked Vereesa, looking a bit at Jack from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah." Said Jack with a weak chuckle. "I'm a soldier through and through. Not used to doing shit like this. But now I'm being dragged into this because…I want to help you through this." Turning around, Vereesa blinked at Jack.

"Why?" Asked Vereesa as she looked at Jack, though she had an idea what it was.

"Well, you already know that I want to have your forgiveness for kidnapping your children, but I also know what its like to want someone dead. So much so that you think of nothing but killing them." Vereesa, curious, sat up along with Jack.

"Really?" Asked Vereesa. "Who?" In response, Jack brought out a small electronic device, powered it up, and showed a picture of another human with brown hair, wearing a completely different uniform than Jacks.

"Guy is Kuben Blisk." Said Jack. "Guy runs a mercenary outfit called Apex Predators. Guy killed a whole lot of Militia soldiers and pilots along with his mercs. He personally helped killed my mentor, Tai Lastimosa." Jack then showed another picture, this time an older human with gray hair and several scars around his face. "He taught me how to be a pilot. When he died, he gave me his helmet and his Titan. You met him." Vereesa then looked at Jack.

"BT?" Asked Vereesa, causing Jack to nod.

"Yeah. To make a long story short, Blisk killed him during a mission that would have cost the Militia their primary headquarters. Managed to stop him and his employers, but I never got to fight him. He had a chance to kill me, but refused, saying he doesn't do anything for money." Said Jack. "Faced him a few more time after that. Each time, just barely missing him. He always escapes my grasp, taking more Militia lives each time." Jack then sighed. "Made me want to kill him. Also made me question my worth as a pilot."

"Did you?" Asked Vereesa.

"Never did." Said Jack. "Guy is slippery, I'll give him that. And after the last time, I'm not going to." He then showed a picture of two other pilots, this time with their helmets. One had blue highlights like Jack's helmet, but had a different design, being smaller and shaped like a X. Another had only small blue light lines, around four, just above the mouth. "Not after it cost them their lives. These are Droy and Davis. Two of the greatest mercenary pilots where I come from and some of the greatest friends I've ever had. Remember that mission I told you about? Well, if it weren't for them and two others, I might never have managed to finish the mission. After that, we became friends, helping each other out whenever the Militia hires their mercenary group." Seeing Jack smile, Vereesa asked a question.

"What were they like?" Asked Vereesa.

"Davis was eccentric." Said Jack, smiling fondly of Davis. "Bastard made a joke out of everything. One time, when he was defending an energy harvester, guy made a joke about the enemy compensating for something when they sent an entire battalion worth of Titans against a single harvester." He then laughed. "He even told me that, if he ever found an elf, he's going to bang the first chick elf he saw." That caused Vereesa to smile a bit. "Droy was the more serious of the two, but joined in on Davis's jokes whenever he felt like it. Those two were thick as thieves and were the best duo I've ever seen. They're teamwork was legendary in the Frontier." Jack then remembered a party that he had with Davis and Droy and told Vereesa it.

* * *

**Two years ago**

**Pirate controlled space**

**Space station Sanctus**

* * *

"Hell yeah, Coops! This is the life!" Yelled Davis as he drank a beer with his helmet on, drinking the liquid via a slot in his helmet. Jack just nodded as he looked around them, seeing a bunch of shady people fighting or getting drunk.

"Yeah, this is a life." Said Jack as he saw a few men ogle a striper on a pole. "Why the hell did we decide to party here? For your birthday, Droy?" The two pilots had invited Jack to celebrate Droy's birthday. Both Gates and Bear, their former mercenary co-workers, were too busy managing the 6-4 to celebrate, but sent their congratulations. They must have some pull with the Militia because Jack suddenly received shore leave from Sarah, Jack's commander.

"Because I lost a bet with Davis." Said Droy as he shook his head. "If the Steelheads won against the Leviathans during the last game for the season, I pick. Since they lost, Davis picked. And he had to fucking pick the shittiest strip bar in Frontier space."

"Ah come on, Droy! Lighten up!" Yelled Davis as he hugged his friend. "Enjoy the view! Unless you like the same sex, then let's find another stool. The men are over there in the right." Droy punched his friend in the gut for that.

"I don't swing that way and you know it, Davis!" Yelled Droy as Davis laughed.

"Whatever you say, Droy!" Yelled Davis as he sat down on his seat, watching a sports game on a flat screen nearby. Jack coughing a bit, looked at the two, noticing that they were wearing full pilot armor, unlike him, who wore just basic fatigues.

"So, why are you guys wearing full body armor?" Asked Jack as he looked at Davis, who simply pointed to a group of guys discussing over something.

"Got a bunch of pirates being assholes to poor defenseless colonies out in the fringes of the Frontier. Colonies pay a protection fee or else get blasted from orbit with a missile. And the ring leaders just so happen to be them right there." Said Davis. Droy groaned at that.

"For god sakes, Davis, I knew it. You picked this shithole just to start a gunfight." Said Droy. "The next time we're celebrating your birthday, I'm going to fucking pic…" He didn't get to finish before Davis grabbed an empty beer bottle in their table and tossed it at the group of pirates that he pointed to, nearing hitting one of them. Instead hitting the wall to their right. As it broke, the men looked at the bottle in shock before looking at Davis, who simply waved.

"Hey bastards! Don't you know its not right to bully the weak?" Asked Davis as he patted his sidearm on his left thigh. As the thugs got up, Droy and Jack sighed.

"God damnit Davis." Said Droy as the thugs drew out pistols and knives. He then grabbed his pistol and fired.

* * *

**Present**

* * *

"***Laughs***We ended up blowing the entire station up after Davis set the pirate's ship reactor to explode." Said Jack, recalling the paperwork he had to do about the destruction of that space station. No one cared about it, seeing it just one of many pirate safe heavens in the Frontier, but he still had to report it in regardless. Vereesa, upon hearing the entire story, let out a bit of a laugh.

"This Davis. He sounds…fun." Said Vereesa, silently thinking of a different word to describe him. One not too flattering.

"Yeah, Droy kept him in line for the most part, but they were as thick as thieves." Said Jack. "Even set up their own mercenary outfit so they can do things their own way." Though she was a bit happy for Jack, she knew that something went wrong.

"What happened to them?" Asked Vereesa. She then saw Jack adopt a sad look and it kind of hurt her.

"It was my own damn fault." Said Jack as he got up. "I got them killed. ***Sighs*** We were both assigned to deal with an IMC base that was being used to resupply and refuel their remaining ships. Taking it out would have dealt a serious blow to the IMC space fleet. Problem was that the base was a space station full of citizens, couldn't just bombard it with a nuke or anything like that. So, we sent an SRS team along with the Last Resort, Davis and Droy's mercenary group to take out the entire base. Plan was to initiate a false emergency evaluation of the station, detonate the fuel tanks in the base and destroy whatever ships we found in it." Vereesa nodded as she continued to listen. Though she was a bit confused at all the terms Jack was using. Space. IMC. Space station. All of it was a bit too much to take in, but she still followed.

"Went well at first, seemed like we would have won without a single KIA. ***Sighs* **But then Blisk came and ruined the whole thing." Said Jack as he recalled the memories. "One moment, we were getting ready to leave, the next Blisk and his whole came and started shooting. Lost a few men, but we managed to get back to our ship. But then Blisk came on and began broadcasting images of him and his men shooting civilians. Some of them weren't able to escape in time." Vereesa widened her eyes in shock at that. Targeting civilians. It was always something that Vereesa disapproved and hated.

"That crossed a line and it made me go after Blisk. Droy and Davis followed me, so I don't get killed. We tracked Blisk and his men and a firefight broke out. I don't know how, but during the fighting, the station's reactors went critical and we all have to leave. Blisk was in my sights though, so as an idiot, I went after him. I didn't want him to escape like the last few times. Droy and Davis, seeing this, went after me and tried to talk me out of it. That we can get him another time, but I didn't listen to them. I just thought of Blisk and what he's done."

"And that cost them their lives?" Asked Vereesa, quiet at how similar Jack's anger toward this Blisk was to her own with Garrosh. Lesser scale, yes, but oddly similar enough.

"Yeah." Said Jack as he sat next to Vereesa again. "During the chase, I got trapped in some falling debris and Blisk escaped in a shuttle because of that. Davis and Droy, rather than leaving me behind, dug me out and dragged me to somewhere. We couldn't get to our ship in time, so we had to find another alternative way to escape the station. We found it in the form of a tactical insertion pod, but the problem was that it could only fit one person. So, the two paid for my mistake with their lives."

* * *

**Two years ago**

**Space station resort**

* * *

"God damnit guys! You don't have to do this!" Yelled Jack as he was forced inside the pod by Droy while Davis tried to launch it.

"Sorry Coops, but only room for one and SRS needs all the pilots it can get. And you're one of the best." Said Davis as he found the necessary codes to launch the pod. Jack tried to protest but Droy stopped him.

"Don't bother Coops." Said Droy, accepting his fate. "We're mercenaries. No one gives a damn about us if we live or die. We get replaced a dime a dozen every year."

"But Gates and Bear! They'll…" Yelled Jack but Davis stopped him.

"They'll understand." Said Davis, still keeping his cheerful tone. "Always said we go out in a blaze of glory. This is about as good as any."

"Yeah, listen Coops. Promise us. As a last request. Don't go after Blisk at any costs." Said Droy. "The guy is scum, but its not worth pursuing him if it'll kill good people along the way than necessary. Promise us that." Jack, stunned a bit, was about to say when the pod launched.

"Anymore and he won't make it." Said Davis as he patted his partner. "He'll be fine, man. He'll keep his word. ***Sighs*** Just wish I could see the girl or man that Coops will get in the future."

"For fucks sake Davis!" Yelled Droy as he argued with his friend for the last time.

* * *

**Present**

* * *

"That last part was my helmet catching it in the comms." Said Jack as he recalled it. "Last things I heard before I was out of range. Few minutes later the ship exploded." He then sighed. "That's not the worst of it. An IMC battle cruiser came in moments after the station exploded. Both my team and the Last Resort were looking for me so they were unprepared when the battlecruiser opened fire. To give us a chance to escape, the Last Resort had their ship jump out of system, forcing the battlecruiser to go after it. Few days later, we got a report that said the Last Frontier was wiped out. So, because of my decision, I killed the Last Resort, the product of two friends, and get said friends killed." Jack then grabbed his helmet, which was sitting on a desk nearby. "Felt pretty shit after that and asked for shore leave. Went through some soul-searching and drinking. Almost got court-martialed a few times, but I eventually pulled through. Because Droy and Davis wouldn't have wanted me to be a washed-up soldier that was wallowing in his grief." Vereesa, having listened, looked at Jack and got up.

"I…think they would be proud of you." Said Vereesa.

"Yeah, kept my promise and didn't pursue Blisk to the detriment of the mission anymore, so that's a plus." Said Jack. "Just wish it didn't take them dying for me to realize that."

"You told me this because you fear I may do something similar?" Asked Vereesa, piecing the story together with their current predicament.

"Don't know." Said Jack. "Maybe you will. Maybe you're stronger than me and not do so. What I do know is that I'm noticing similar things between my experience with Blisk to yours with Garrosh. Only, you know, yours is worse. I lost friends while you lost your husband." Vereesa nodded at that.

"Still, friends are still a valuable commodity." Said Vereesa as she grabbed Jack's helmet and examined it. It was ugly by elf standard, but Vereesa was still intrigued with it. "I wouldn't lessen your loss by saying my loss is worser."

"Thanks." Said Jack, causing Vereesa to nod. "So, what's the plan? You cool?"

"I don't know." Said Vereesa, after a minute. "Though your story helped, I still feel rage with Garrosh's actions. If the Pandaren let him go, I don't know what I'll do."

"Don't worry, they won't let him go free." Said Jack. "They're not that naïve."

"You wrong-wrong, Jack!" Yelled Ikit as he barged into Vereesa's room. "They, stupid white and black-things, will let brown-orc to be free! I have proof!" He then began to tell them what he's been doing for the past few hours.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

**Ikit Claw**

**Temple of the White Tiger**

* * *

"Find stupid furry-things gods!" Said Ikit as he walked amongst the crowds of Pandaren, Alliance, and Horde soldiers that were participating in the defense of the Temple of the White Tiger as Garrosh still has loyal followers that may try to free him from captivity. "Must know truth!" As he walked, Ikit could feel them looking at him, both out of intrigue or disgust at seeing a giant rat like him. Ikit, not caring, went on his way as he went to find the gods of the Pandaren as they were the ones assigned to give Garrosh his punishment.

Eventually, after much time searching, he found them after he decided to smash a statue dedicated to one of them out of frustration.

"You seek the us, traveler." Said a white and blue tiger as he appeared before Ikit with several other animals. Though the tiger was enraged to find his statue destroyed, he kept calm, sensing Ikit's own frustration.

"Yes-yes stupid glowing things." Said Ikit Claw as he glared at them. "I heard you are giving brown-Orc freedom! Letting him go free after all destruction he sought! Why you do-do this!? Even Ikit, who has destroyed entire towns and cities in his experiment, knew that he would be killed by the human empire of his world for all that he's done. No exceptions. And so Garrosh, who did similar things, should face the same thing, yes?

"Garrosh Hellscream has done many atrocities, yes, but he deserves the chance of redemption like all beings." Said a red and white crane as it looked upon Ikit. "If we kill him without giving him a chance to redeem himself, we are not better than him."

"That be stupid stupid." Said Ikit as he glared at them all. "You are being fools-fools! If he was being attended by Skaven court, we would eat him alive for all actions against Skaven people! We might even experiment on his corpse!"

"Then he and all Orcs should be glad that he is not being judged by your people." Said a black Ox as he stood stoically against Ikit, who glared at them all.

"Do not try to convince us otherwise, mortal." Said a green serpent. "Our verdict is clear. Garrosh will be allowed to live. That is all." With that, the August Celestials left Ikit, who growled in frustration.

"Stupid gods." Said Ikit before left to go find the Horde and Alliance leaders, knowing that they need to hear this.

* * *

**Present**

**Jack**

* * *

"So, you're telling us that they're planning to let Garrosh live?" Asked Jack, incredulous along with Vereesa, who glared at Ikit, though her anger was directed at the Pandaren and their gods. "After all that he's done?"

"Yes-yes." Said Ikit. "I even went to other Pandaren. They claim Garrosh deserves to live. To be given a chance of redemption." Ikit nearly threw up at saying that. "They not going to kill-slay him! They going to let him go!"

"That's insane." Said Jack as he touched his forehead. "What the hell makes them think this is a good idea?"

"I knew that they would do something like this." Said Vereesa as she went over to a desk and slammed her fists on them. "I knew they would let him go. I was right. The Pandaren are fools. Garrosh nearly destroys Pandaria and they want him to go free!" Vereesa then ruffled her hair in disgust. "I need to inform everyone of this. That the trial is nothing but rigged. We need to figure out a way to kill Garrosh. It's the only thing that we can agree upon."

"I get that, but how the hell can we do that without making Garrosh a martyr?" Asked Jack, also anger at the Pandaren, but also worried that killing Garrosh right now, before his punishment, will just make the crazy Orc a martyr. Vereesa pursed her lips, thinking about something, before speaking to Jack.

"I've been talking with my sister. The undead leader of the Forsaken." Said Vereesa. Upon hearing that, Jack and Ikit looked at Vereesa.

"Sylvanas?" Asked Jack, recalling Lor'themar telling him about Sylvanas Windrunner, how she became an undead, and what she is now compared to what she used to be. Upon hearing it, Jack sympathized with both Vereesa and Sylvanas. Vereesa for having her sister taken away from her only to be turned into a darker parody of what she used to be. And Sylvanas for…well dying and turning into an undead being. "What have you've been discussing?"

"Plans to kill Garrosh, yes-yes?" Asked Ikit. Vereesa nodded.

"We agreed that Garrosh shouldn't be allowed to live. That he deserves death." Said Vereesa. "So, I asked her to give me a poison that can kill Garrosh. It'll be a slow and painful death, just what the monster deserves." Jack and Ikit looked at each other, wondering how the heck this can work without drawing the attention of the Pandaren and avoiding making Garrosh a martyr. Jack, while a bit uneasy with the painful death part of the poison, didn't actually mind it. He's a soldier. People die either gruesome and painful deaths. Or quick and painless ones. Some people deserve the latter. Others the former. It wasn't Jack's place to judge who deserves what. But in this case, he can see Garrosh deserving the former. That and he didn't give a damn if the Orc died painfully. The Orc, for the sake of most people on Azeroth, deserved it.

Ikit on the other hand, didn't care. Orc died and they get to move on. What's not to love about it.

"Okay, but how does this avoid making Garrosh a martyr. Is it traceable?" Asked Jack.

"No, it's completely untraceable." Said Vereesa. "Sylvanas told me that she thought of Garrosh becoming a martyr, so she's placing emphasis on making it untraceable. I'm meeting her soon, so the poison should be ready for Garrosh. We were planning on doing it after the latest meeting, but now that its known that the Pandaren will let Garrosh go, I don't think we need to keep it a secret any longer."

"That good and all, but we still need to deliver position without drawing suspicion." Said Ikit, causing both to nod. "We need to kill brown-orc quietly, without drawing suspicion to us all."

"I'll talk with Sylvanas about it. You two can come with you want." Said Vereesa.

"Uh, doesn't your sister hate the living?" Asked Jack, recalling Lor'themar telling them how much Sylvanas hates the living.

"Don't worry, she won't kill you once she sees you both are on our side. And after you tell her about the rigged trial, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you too." Said Vereesa. "Just…avoid angering her and you'll be fine."

"Then let's keep Ikit's mouth shut." Said Jack, causing Ikit to glare.

"Stupid human. Ikit not going, Ikit will stay here. Brainstorming plans to kill Garrosh if poison fails to kill him." Said Ikit.

"Very well, let's go Jack." Said Vereesa, anger in her voice. "We need to inform everyone of this false trial." With that the elf and human left, leaving Ikit alone. Unbeknownst to all, however, their plan was predicted by someone and they're making plans to stop it.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Suramar**

**Thalyssra's estate**

* * *

"Read them and weep, High Elf Archer." Said Courier as he won again, causing High Elf to yell out in frustration.

"Stop it!" Yelled High Elf as she ruffled her hair. "Let me win once!"

"Not a chance." Said Courier, his helmet off, as he reshuffled his deck. As he was shuffling, he saw Chief outside the estate, looking out at the lake that Thalyssra's estate was embedded on. "Hey, want to join?"

"No." Said Chief, hearing Courier's offer. "I don't play games."

"Come on, John." Said High Elf, comfortable with using Chief's real name, as she walked over to Chief. "You got to step back and enjoy life. You're not fighting a war now. You can just…relax now."

"There's still things that need to be done. There's always things that need to be done." Said Chief after a minute. "Pirates. Thugs. Other species preying on others. These are things I'm supposed to deal with all."

"Yeah, but not all the time, man." Said Courier as he joined the two. "You need a break every now and then. Otherwise you lose sight of what you're fighting for in the first place."

"I always have that with me." Said Chief. "With the people I'm fighting with. Or the people that I save."

"You say that, like you mean it." Said Courier, looking at Chief, still in full armor.

"I do." Said Chief, causing them both to sigh. Master Chief really reminded Courier of Boone. Steadfast, stubborn, and dead-set on being just a soldier and nothing more, believing that it was all he was good for now.

Same for High Elf. He reminded her of Orcbolg and how stubborn he was, dead set on killing Goblins, no matter what they tried to do. He took other quests, yes, but he always had Goblins on his mind, thinking the best ways to kill them.

But what they didn't understand was what drove Chief.

With Boone, it was his hatred of Caesar Legion, a nation that promoted slavery, and his hope of a better future. With Orcbolg, was the hope of ridding the world of Goblins, so that no one can suffer like he did.

But with Chief, they didn't see any of that. He just…did what he did because he was ordered to. He killed people who harmed the innocent, yes, but he doesn't seem to have the drive like they did. He just did it because he had to. Like he was programed to.

"…You weren't volunteered into the Spartan program, were you?" Asked Courier as he looked at his leader. Cortana and Master Chief told them about the Spartan program. Well, as much as they were willing to divulge. It was basically a program dedicated to the creation of super soldiers to help humanity in conflicts to come. Chief said the program succeeded and that was it. When asked for details, the two simply kept their mouth shut, indicating a darker picture toward the Spartan program.

"That's classified." Said Chief as he continued to look at the lake, recalling old memories, back when he wasn't a Spartan. Of more…selfish times.

"That just confirms that something was wrong with it." Said High Elf, looking at Chief, worried for him. "Tell us. What the hell did they do to you?"

"It's classified." Repeated Chief, causing High Elf to groan and ruffle her hair.

"God damnit, you stone-cold bastard. Just tell us!" Yelled High Elf, glaring at Chief, which was hard because he stood taller than her. "We're supposed to be a team. We have to trust each other in order to be a good, effective team. And to trust each other, we need to know our pasts! And if you can't tell us, then how the hell can we trust you!?" Chief just stayed silent as High Elf glared at him.

"You don't want to know what they did." Said Chief simply after a minute, looking back at the lake. Disgusted with the answer, High Elf marched away, eager to get away from Chief. Courier, seeing this, sighed.

"She has a point, man." Said Courier, looking at Chief. "You can't keep this Spartan Program details hidden from us any longer. Eventually you have to tell us. Otherwise, we stop being an effective team. I'll respect your want to keep it a secret, but the others may not. And it's not like we'll going to start a revolution against the UNSC. We just want to go back home. We may be disgusted with their actions, but we can't do anything against them. Right?"

"…If I tell you, I'm breaking several military regulations regarding classified material." Said Chief. "Material that may get you killed or censored if you know about them."

"I'm pretty sure the UNSC doesn't have any influence in our worlds." Said Courier. "Look, I appreciate you watching out for us, but the others now want to know more about you and the more you push, the more you lose their trust and grow their curiosity toward your origins. So, just tell them. Before you lose their trust." With that Courier left to go tend to High Elf, leaving Chief alone. Well alone as he can possibly be in this place.

Looking at the lake, Chief stayed there, standing, for several minutes before Chief heard the sounds of teleportation. Not looking back, Chief could guess who it was.

"Elisande gave her verdict?" Asked Chief as Thalyssra came over to him, a bit surprised to see him out and looking at the lake.

"Yes." Said Thalyssra as she went over and stood by Chief, examining their height and seeing she dwarfed him a bit, even with his armor on. "You'll be pleased to know that Elisande has decided that it's time to release the barrier and begin trade with the outside world. She also decided to ally us with you so long as it benefits both parties."

"Good to hear." Said Chief, happy to have something go through way completely. "We will try to not make you regret this decision." Thalyssra smiled a bit at that.

"I have a feeling you won't." Said Thalyssra as she looked at Chief. "However, just to be on the safe side, I will be assigned to be around you until Elisande recalls me back to Suramar. She wants the first group to be small yet capable in both fighting prowess and diplomacy. Is that fine?" Chief nodded at that, seeing no problem. Smiling, Thalyssra, looked at the lake that chief was looking at. After a few minutes, she spoke. "Do you feel calm watching the lake?"

"It's calming." Said Chief after a few seconds. "Sometimes simple things can help with the mind."

"I can relate." Said Thalyssra as she looked at Chief. "When I'm not attending to my duties as advisor to Elisande or First Arcanist, I often come here to view this lake and its beauty. Its why I built my personal estate on the shores of this lake. Its beauty relieves the stress I cumulate from my duties as First Arcanist." Chief nodded at that before going back to just focusing on the lake. Feeling a bit bold, Thalyssra looked at Chief and spoke.

"Do you need to do the same as well?" Asked Thalyssra, looking down a bit at Chief, who looked slightly towards her. "You do not need to answer if you are uncomfortable with answering it."

"I didn't have much time in doing these things." Said Chief after a brief pause. "I was... in my world, I was constantly fighting. I rarely had time to myself. And there were few times where I could just see a clean lake this and be calm." Upon hearing that, Thalyssra looked at Chief in shock.

"Did you?" Asked Thalyssra, causing Chief to nod. "Were you facing a terrible war? One similar to what we faced against the Burning Legion?"

"No." Said Chief. "It was worse." That caused Thalyssra to bite her lip in worry. Worse than the war with the legion? How could such a thing be possible? Curious, she asked Chief how. Chief, seeing that it would be easier for her to experience, just told her to delve into his mind to see how, surprising Thalyssra a bit.

"Are you sure?" Asked Thalyssra, still a bit shocked. "It's rather…invasive."

"You wouldn't believe me if you didn't see it. But you have to not see my origins. Promise me that. If not, then you'll just have to take my word for it." Said Chief. Thalyssra rose an eyebrow at that.

"Why is that?" Asked Thalyssra.

"…I'm called a Spartan. We were super soldiers created by the UNSC, my government, to fight enemies through covert means." Said Chief. "The way we were created are classified. So, don't try to see those memories. For your sake." Thalyssra, a bit stunned to hear that, frowned but nonetheless complied.

"If that is what you wish." Said Thalyssra. She was rather curious at what the Spartans were and how they came to be, but from what Chief conveyed with his tone, she suspected it wasn't pretty. Out of respect for her new ally, however, she decided to not pry until it became necessary.

Placing her hands on the sides of Chief's helmet, Thalyssra began to conduct the spell necessary to delve into Chief's mind. Going deep into his memories. What she got completely scared her.

In Chief's mind, she could see large aliens, some surpassing her own people in height, killing smaller, pink-skinned humanoids mercilessly, regardless if they can fight back. She saw him, and other armored being, fight them. Despite being outnumbered, they kept prevailing over their enemy. Destroying massive warships that flew, killing them from a distance, and being a sort of symbol of hope for their people. She then saw a massive world burning, the armored warriors falling to the superior numbers of their enemies, and a lush green planet turning to smoldering piles of rock and lava. It was too much for Thalyssra to bear and she quickly screamed out in pain.

She tried to stop the spell, but the memories were so vast and painful that she couldn't concentrate enough to stop the spell.

Seeing this, Chief roughly removed Thalyssra's hands from his helmet and pushed her away. That was a mistake as that nearly caused her to fall to the lake. If it wasn't for him catching her in the last minute, the First Arcanist would have fallen to the lake. Not exactly a good way to start an alliance with a people.

Holding her as he gently sat down, he looked at Thalyssra as she held her head with one hand, the other clutching her chest.

"Are you okay?" Asked Chief, holding Thalyssra as gently as he could do. Tears spilling from her eyes, Thalyssra looked at Chief, scared.

"All that death." Said Thalyssra after a pause. "All that destruction. It reminded me of the Burning Legion. Only on a much grander scale." She then closed her eyes. "And you faced all that? For how long?"

"Almost three decades." Said Chief as he answered the First Arcanist's question. That caused Thalyssra to hold her mouth. Three decades were considered small time for elves, but three decades of war, on such a scale, scared Thalyssra. Especially if such a war caused the destruction of entire planets.

"How…how did you survive all that?" Asked Thalyssra after a minute of pause, looking at Chief with worry and fear. Chief just stayed silent, contemplating if he should tell her or not. There wasn't really anything classified about the scale of the Human Covenant War, especially now that it was over with the truce between the Arbiter's covenant faction and the UNSC. But it may give her false hope. Just because the Human Covenant War was over, doesn't mean that various splintered factions of the Covenant aren't fighting the UNSC right now. For all he knew, the Arbiter's group was wiped out and all that remained were Sangheili that wanted humanity destroyed.

Debating it, he eventually decided to tell her.

"We had a few close calls." Said Chief. "But we eventually survived. Enough of us survived to ensure that we wouldn't go extinct as a species."

"How though?" Asked Thalyssra, fearful of what they did to survive. She knew, more than most, what people would do when they're faced with extinction. Suramar raised the barrier to safe themselves from the Legion. It saved them, yes, but it there were still thousands, perhaps millions, of Night Elves still outside the barrier, fighting the Legion when they made the barrier. Now that she knew Tyrande was still alive, she guessed the Night Elves wouldn't be too pleased to hear that Suramar's population survived, unharmed, while they fought and bled against the Legion. "What did you do to survive such a destructive war?" Knowing that he had to answer it in full, Chief told her.

"When I killed one of our enemy's top leaders, it caused a sort of schism between our enemy's society. I don't know the details, but one of those races, the Sangheili, found out they were lied to by their leaders for a long time. It enraged them to no end, and they joined us out of mutual need. Especially once we had to stop our mutual enemy from deploying a weapon that could kill us all. Me, my race, the Sangheili, and our mutual enemy." Explained Chief. "The weapon was something that could kill anything organic. Like you and me. And its range was immense. Able to kill people from millions of miles." It was far more than that, but Chief doubted he could properly explain the Halo ring's destructive potential to Thalyssra. This was more Cortana's thing and she was back in Torrington with ED-E and BT.

Not that it mattered as Thalyssra widened her eyes in shock.

"Why would they activate such a weapon?" Asked Thalyssra as she tried to process this. All of this. It hurt her brain to even think of all this, especially as the memories she searched from Chief surfaced again.

"They thought the weapon would be the key to godhood. They thought the weapon was a gateway to a plane of existence far greater than our own. When in reality it was a weapon that wipes out organic life. Fortunately, we stopped them from firing it and killed the last of our enemy's great leaders." Said Chief. "Came at a heavy price." Chief thought of his allies Miranda Keyes and Avery Johnson, both lost their lives in the final campaign of the Human Covenant war, joining so many other comrades he lost in that war. Sensing Chief's anger, Thalyssra weakly placed a hand on the hand that was holding her stomach, causing Chief to look her in the eyes.

Despite the helmet, Thalyssra could see the pain and anger deep inside within Chief. Perhaps it was her expertise in the Arcane arts, but Thalyssra could sense the buried emotions in him. And how much of it was dispelled as he fought and killed. It worried her a bit.

"You've lost so much." Said Thalyssra as she placed a hand around Chief's golden visor, tracing it. "It's amazing you're still you despite the amount of anger and pain I'm sensing within you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Said Chief as he allowed Thalyssra to trace her fingers on his visor. "I just do my job."

"That's not a sufficient enough answer." Said Thalyssra. "Nor is it enough for you to remain who you are." She then placed a hand on Chief's chest and it glowed. Closing her eyes, Thalyssra could sense Chief's spirit and was impressed what she saw. Feeling nothing harmful, Chief allowed this to happen, though kept on guard in case Thalyssra tried anything.

After a minute, she let go and gave John a small smile.

"You have such an unbending spirit." Said Thalyssra as she stopped tracing John's visor and just placed hand on his helmet, as if holding his cheek. "Your will is…unlike anything I've ever seen. It never bends, even in the face of overwhelming odds. I'm…in awe of you." Chief simply stayed silent as Thalyssra held his helmet. The two starred at each other for a few more moments before a cough snapped them out of it.

"Excuse us for interrupting, but we got a situation." Said Courier as High Elf was trying not to giggle, a hand on her mouth. Seeing this, Thalyssra blushed, her dark purple skin going even darker as she scrambled out of Chief's arms and on to her own two feet.

Chief went up, Thalyssra no longer in his arms.

"What is it?" Asked Chief, looking at Courier, who sighed.

"It's Jack and Ikit. They got bad news." Said Courier before explaining the situation at Pandaria.

* * *

**Later**

* * *

"So, you mean to tell us that those crazy Pandaren want Garrosh to be pardoned?" Asked High Elf in anger. "After everything he did!?" Courier just nodded, pissing off High Elf Archer. "What the hell is up with them!? That guy is beyond redemption!" Chief and Thalyssra, who stayed with them, were quiet as they tried to process this.

"Apparently it's because they believe Garrosh is capable of being redeemed." Said Courier, shaking his head. "Yeah right. And my ass is made of gold."

"This Garrosh." Said Thalyssra. "He's did terrible things, correct?"

"He was also a former Horde leader. Well their head honcho for a time, but we helped dethroned him with the help of the Alliance and some Horde leaders that didn't like his way of doing things. He's done some pretty bad things. We'll explain later, but take our word for it, he's bad. So bad that a lot of the Horde and Alliance leaders want him dead." Thalyssra simply nodded, trusting their word on the matter, especially if so many of these Horde and Alliance leaders want him dead, even Tyrande apparently. Though she didn't know if Tyrande changed much since she last heard of her, if the priest wanted Garrosh dead, then he must be guilty of crimes worthy of such a punishment.

"Anyway, when they told them what the Pandaren and their gods were planning, they were pissed." Said Courier, remembering how Jack described some of the Horde and Alliance leaders. They just exploded in rage and were ready to simply charged right into Garrosh's cell and kill him with their own hands, Pandaren be damned. Jaina especially. "Guess Garrosh really is the only thing they can agree on."

"Doesn't make much sense." Complained High Elf, still angry. "What the heck makes them think he can be redeemed? After all he's done? If he was judged by my people, he would be killed or just placed in jail for the rest of his life." Courier and Chief nodded, also with High Elf on this. Just keeping their anger in control. Thalyssra didn't know, but she suspected she too would support the death of Garrosh once she knew of all his crimes.

"Anyway, moving on, Jack told me that he has a plan with Vereesa and Sylvanas. They're telling them the plan to the others right now." Said Courier.

"How's that going?" Asked High Elf.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Jack**

* * *

"This goes against everything the Horde stands for!" Argued Baine as he and Sylvanas exchanged glares at each other. "We cannot resort to such deception and trickery to eliminate Garrosh. It sacrifices the Horde's honor."

"Then do you want him to escape!?" Demanded Sylvanas, eyes glowing red. Well, more than they normally do. "Because that is what the Pandaren are going to offer him in this "trial"." As the two Horde leaders argued, Jaina was arguing with Tyrande about the same thing.

"He doesn't deserve honor! He deserves this!" Yelled Jaina as she glared at Tyrande, who sighed.

"I believe he deserves death too, Jaina." Said Tyrande, attempting to calm the mage down. "But doing this will only incite the wrath of the Pandaren and their gods. If we do so, then we lose them as a potential ally."

"And so will the Horde!" Yelled Jaina as the two continued to argue.

"Well we just opened a big can of worms." Said Jack as he saw all this. He then turned to Vereesa and Varian, both of whom were discussing on what to do. "Sorry for doing this, king Varian."

"Do not be." Said Varian, turning to Jack, full armor on. "You and your compatriot did well to give us this information. Garrosh has committed many heinous crimes. Too many to let him live. The fact that the Pandaren believe otherwise infuriates me." He then turned to Vereesa, glaring at her, causing her to flinch as she never faced Varian's wrath before. "And though you conspired with a Horde leader, one of their worst, behind our backs, I'm willing to let it slide as you both focused on eliminating a war criminal. But do not let it happen again." Vereesa nodded at that.

"I understand your king." Said Vereesa, bowing in respect. "But what do you propose we do about Garrosh?"

"I intend to kill him, of course." Said Varian before knitting his eyebrows together. "But Tyrande brings a good point. The Pandaren will, no doubt, be infuriated with our want to kill Garrosh with poison. Even if the poison is untraceable, they'll pin the blame on us. We are the only ones that want Garrosh dead and are in significant numbers around this temple. Given the resources we spent here, I do not wish incur the wrath of the Pandaren."

"But won't the Horde also lose the Pandaren as an ally?" Asked Jack. "I mean, they will also get the blame."

"True." Said Varian. "But I've lost many men battling the Horde, the Sha, and the natives in this land. I do not wish to let their sacrifice to be in vain." He then frowned. "But at the same time, Garrosh is the reason for their deaths. It's a conundrum." As Jack was thinking with them, he saw Sylvanas walking over, sick and tired of hearing Baine whine.

"I'm glad that the Alliance king agrees with me." Said Sylvanas as she looked at Varian, having heard their conversation from afar. Varian, turning to Sylvanas, maintained a neutral stance as he looked at the undead ranger.

"The only thing we agree on, it seems." Said Varian, causing Sylvanas to smirk.

"Oh, how the mutual hatred of one Orc can bring enemies together." Said Sylvanas before looking at Jack, who was a bit creeped out by her red glowing eyes. He knew that she can make people freeze up in fright, but to actually be around her was nothing compared to the stories Lor'themar told him of Sylvanas. It was like she just radiated coldness, enough to make you pause in thought. And the way she glared at you was enough to make one place a hand on their weapon. But this time, her stare had some respect in them.

"Your part of the group that has ensured our victory against Garrosh in Orgrimmar. Considering how few your group is, I'm impressed. Not many of the living can do what must be done to secure victory." Said Sylvanas. Despite it being a compliment, Jack couldn't help but not want it. "And your group also gave us the information that the Pandaren, damn those fools, are going to release Garrosh, correct?"

"Yes." Said Jack after a pause. "It was my partner. The rat. He's currently brainstorming ideas to kill Garrosh. He thinks its good to have a backup plan in case the poison plan fails."

"Hmph, normally I would be offended at your rat's inability to trust in my plans, but considering the delicacy of the situation, I suppose its warranted." Said Sylvanas before turning to her sister and giving a nod, which was replied back with a smile. Twitching her mouth at that, almost in hesitance, she then turned to Varian, who kept silent. "So, tell me king, are you willing to sacrifice the Pandaren's allegiance to kill Garrosh? The Horde are also sacrificing their chance to gain the Pandaren, so it's not like any of us are gaining something out of this aside from that idiotic Orc's death."

"If I had to choose the two, I would pick Garrosh." Said Varian with no hesitation in his voice. "He hurt my son and some of my closest friends. I will not let him live after all he's done." Sylvanas smiled, showing fang-like teeth.

"I'm so glad that you agree." Said Sylvanas. "The other Horde leaders, even Baine, want him dead. They're only disagreeing with how it's done. Still, they'll come around eventually. If only they do it sooner before the next session." Vereesa, who was silent for the entire conversation, was about to speak when Ikit barged in, yelling out to catch everyone's attention.

"Big trouble! Big-huge trouble!" Yelled Ikit to the top of his lungs. Once he had everyone's attention, he yelled again. "Stupid brown-Orc gone! He escaped!" That sent everyone reeling in shock. Garrosh escaped! Before they could even fully comprehend that, Ikit yelled again. "It recent! He still here! Heard plan to go to trial room with big glass thing! We run now!" With that Ikit ran out of the room to the court room, leaving everyone in the dust.

Sylvanas, recovering first, glared at anyone.

"What are we all waiting for!?" Yelled Sylvanas before turning into her banshee form. "Hellscream is escaping!" With that she flew off, leaving everyone in the dust. Jack, snapping out of it, grabbed Vereesa and ran after Sylvanas and Ikit.

"How the hell did Garrosh escape!?" Yelled Jack at Vereesa, who recovered enough to run on her own.

"It had to be an inside job." Said Vereesa, bringing out a dagger she always had on her. "No one had breached the temple's grounds."

"But who?" Asked Jack as they ran, praying they were able to stop Garrosh.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Garrosh**

* * *

"Sto…" The Pandaren that said that didn't say anymore once Garrosh slammed an axe he'd taken from a Horde rebel into his skull. After pulling it out, he looked to see the bronze dragon, Kairozdormu, tinkering with the Vision of Times, an hourglass-like artifact that has the ability to allow people to see visions of the past with no bias from anyone. It also had a hidden ability, kept from the other Bronze dragon that participated in the trial, Chronormu, who was now in a prison cell, unable to stop Kairozdormu from completing his plan. One that Garrosh had no idea of, but didn't care. Once Kairozdormu had helped him escape, Garrosh planned to kill him the first chance he got. But first, they must escape.

"Hurry!" Yelled Garrosh as he tore the head off a human soldier as he attempted to fight Garrosh. He then threw the body across, hitting a Nightelf as she attempted to fire an arrow at the Bronze dragon.

"Not to worry, I'm almost done." Said Kairozdormu, in the form of a high elf, as he tinkered with the hourglass, almost finished. He then summoned a few warriors, primarily Orc warriors from past wars to fight the Alliance and Horde rebels that attempted to stop them. Though they were confused a bit, the Orcs nonetheless fought them all, seeing the humans as enemies and the Horde rebels as traitors for working with humans.

Just as Kairozdormu was finished with the hourglass, he and Garrosh heard the vile scream of a banshee. Knowing who it was, Garrosh growled as Sylvanas made herself known, smashing through a previously locked door and killing a few time-traveled Orcs. Landing before Garrosh, she glared at him, curved daggers at the ready.

"And here I was planning to poison you." Said Sylvanas as she pointed her daggers at Garrosh. "Hmph, I suppose this is better. I won't get into trouble with the others now that you attempted to escape." Hearing that she planned to poison him, Garrosh scoffed.

"I always knew you were trouble, elf." Said Garrosh as he glared at Sylvanas. "You lack honor. Thrall was a fool to accept you into our ranks!"

"Fool he may be." Said Sylvanas as she readied herself. "But at least he is a useful fool that knows when not to be stupid when the situation calls for it." Not wanting to waste any more time, Sylvanas pounced on Garrosh, daggers at the ready. Garrosh roared as he charged at Sylvanas, eager to take the head of the undead ranger.

Dodging an attack by Garrosh, Sylvanas placed hand on his bald head. Using it as a way to stabilize herself, Sylvanas pushed herself higher up and tossed a dagger on Garrosh's shoulder, forcing it deep into his flesh. Garrosh, used to pain, roared as he attempted to swing at Sylvanas as she landed, only for the elf to gracefully dodge it, grab her dagger back and slice Garrosh several times in the gut as she passed him.

"Typical Orc." Said Sylvanas as she continued to dodge Garrosh's sloppy attacks and slash him multiple times. "Sloppy and weak." Garrosh roared at that and attempted to swipe at her again. Anticipating this, Sylvanas attempted to dodge, but was stunned when Garrosh stopped mid-swing and just grabbed her by the throat. He then slammed her to the ground, cracking the stone. He then held her to the ground as he brought his axe down on her.

Snarling, Sylvanas quickly kicked him in the groin, causing him to stop his swing momentarily as he roared in pain, letting Sylvanas go in the process. Before Sylvanas could do more, however, several arrows embedded themselves into Garrosh's chest.

"Get away from my sister!" Yelled Vereesa as she kicked Garrosh in the head, forcing him away from the undead elf as well as stunning him. Looking at her sister, Vereesa held out her hand, which Sylvanas looked at for a moment before grabbing it, hoisting herself up. "Are you okay sister?"

Hearing the caution in her sister's voice, Sylvanas looked at her with cold eyes, something that caused Vereesa to wince. Before Vereesa could say anything, Sylvanas grabbed a dagger from Vereesa's waist and threw it to an Orc that tried to kill them both.

"Keep your guard up." Said Sylvanas as she tossed one of her own daggers on another Orc that tried the same thing, not watching as he fell to the ground, gurgling on his own blood.

Before Vereesa could respond, they heard a roar of a portal. Turning around, they saw Garrosh being carried by Kairozdormu. Upon seeing the dragon, Sylvanas growled.

"That dragon is responsible for all this." Growled Sylvanas as she grabbed Vereesa's bow, much to Vereesa's surprise. Grabbing an arrow from her sister's quiver, Sylvanas fired at the dragon. It would have hit the dragon, but the dragon had brought out an Orc from a timeline in the arrow's path, allowing him to take the hit instead of Kairozdormu.

"You're not getting away!" Yelled Sylvanas as she ran after them with Vereesa following. The two sisters ignored all the carnage around them, their focus solely on Garrosh and the traitorous bronze dragon. As they ran, Jack and Ikit arrived with Varian and Genn. Seeing the carnage, the four were surprised to see it all.

Ikit was the first to recover and saw Kairozdormu attempted to flee to a portal with Garrosh.

"Look-look! Weird thing attempting to leave with brown-skin!" Yelled Ikit as he pointed. Seeing this Varian, narrowed his eyes and launched himself at the two. Genn tried to follow, but was tackled by an Orc. Jack would have suffered a similar fate, but Ikit began firing his warpfire projector at every Orc that tried to get close to them, laughing all the while.

"Watch it Ikit! You don't know if some of them are on our side!" Yelled Jack as he opened fire on Orcs that clearly were fighting Alliance soldiers.

"Don't care! Must kill-kill!" Yelled Ikit as he leapt towards a few Orcs fighting amongst themselves.

Meanwhile, the two Windrunner sisters were getting near Kairozdormu and Garrosh, cutting down anyone that got in their way.

Ducking an attack from an Orc, Sylvanas went after Garrosh straight away while Vereesa slashed the throat of another that tried to kill a Troll that was stunned as she advanced to catch up with her sister.

Seeing the two elves coming at them, Kairozdormu began making a plan to stop them from killing them.

"This ends now!" Yelled Sylvanas as she threw her dagger at Garrosh, aiming for his throat while Vanessa fired an arrow at Garrosh from another angle. Just as they was about to end the tyrant, Kairozdormu brought out an elf from another timeline, one that both Sylvanas and Vereesa knew. Widening their eyes in shock, both of them couldn't do anything as the dagger embedded in the elf's throat while the arrow went through his skull, killing him.

"No!" Yelled Vereesa in horror as she ran towards the elf while Sylvanas tried to process what just happen, frozen in shock. With the two elves distracted, Garrosh and Kairozdormu went through the portal just as Varian came and tried to kill Garrosh, but he was too late.

"Damn!" Yelled Varian as he glared at the portal as it closed, meaning Garrosh managed to escape from justice. Again. As Varian howled in rage, the hourglass that Kairozdormu used broke down into tiny shards. Whatever Kairozdormu did had put a terrible strain on the object. Too into his rage, Varian couldn't do anything as an Orc, one of the few still alive, tried to kill him, only for Genn to tackle him and tear off his throat with his jaws.

Spitting the flesh out of his mouth, Genn got up and walked towards Varian.

"Don't tell me that monster escaped our wrath!" Yelled Genn as he snarled, his Worgen form on. Varian just clenched his fists as he moved on, too enraged at Garrosh's escape. Growling, Genn went to tend to the soldiers while Jack and Ikit helped a Pandaren up.

Looking for the Windrunner sisters, Jack found them over a dead elf. Walking over, Jack could see Vereesa holding the elf in her arms, tears flowing down her face, while Sylvanas was struggling to control her anger.

Eventually the ranger left as Jack approached, the human sensing the immense rage of the undead elf. A bit put off and shocked to experience it, Jack saw Vereesa holding the elf, pain and horror etched into her face.

Looking at the elf, Jack could see that he had bright golden hair and had a fair complexion. But aside from that, Jack didn't know much about the elf to wonder what caused the Windrunner sisters to feel bad about him.

Kneeling down, Jack looked at Vereesa as tears fell down her face.

"We did this." Said Vereesa as she placed a hand on the elf's head, caressing it. "We…killed our own brother." Shocked to hear this, Jack watched as more tears flowed down Vereesa's cheeks as she held her dead brother.

Knowing that he had to do something, Jack let Vereesa drown out her sorrows before making a move.

"He's your brother?" Asked Jack as soon as Vereesa stopped crying and looked at him.

"Yes." Said Vereesa as she looked at the elf again. "He died long ago, back when Sylvanas was still alive. But he's here. Kairozdormu must have taken him from another timeline to distract us. And we killed him."

"You didn't know." Said Jack, struggling to find the right words. "He must have done it just as you were finishing an attack on them."

"And we did so while under the influence of our rage!" Yelled Vereesa as she glared at Jack, tears flowing down her face. "We let our rage blind us to what Kairozdormu did and it cost us our brother's life again." Crying again, Vereesa held her brother's corpse as she closed her eyes. Rubbing the back of his neck, Jack was about to try and hold Vereesa when Ikit came.

"Still other enemy things to kill. Stupid dragon summoned them all over the place. Chaos is everywhere. Must find and kill them." Said Ikit, looking at Vereesa and wondering why she was crying over a dead elf-thing. Knowing that he was right, Jack nodded and told Ikit to go ahead. Once he was gone, Jack gently lifted Vereesa's head and spoke to her.

"If you want to talk about this or have something to beat up over, just come find me." Said Jack. "I'll help you, however I can." Vereesa, still sad, just nodded as she held her brother. Getting up, Jack looked over her one last time before leaving to conduct mop up operations.

* * *

**Few hours later**

**Chief**

**Temple of White Dragon**

* * *

"By Elune." Said Thalyssra as she saw the carnage. She had teleported them all here after a talk with Elisande. After telling her everything what happened in the outside world, Elisande had seen a rare opportunity for them to discern which super power to ally with or to just have trade relations with them both. Sending Thalyssra with team Sigma to Pandaria, Elisande told her to make contact with the Alliance and Horde. See which one is worthy of the Shal'dorei and Suramar's bountiful treasures. Thalyssra, wanting to see the outside world, agreed and had herself and team Sigma be teleported to Pandaria, after figuring out the coordinates, of course.

"Shit." Said Courier as he watched two Alliance medics tending to a wounded Worgen. "What the hell happened here." Before anyone could tell him, Jack arrived, some blood on his suit.

"Good to see you guys." Said Jack. He looked at Thalyssra for a moment, a bit stunned to see a new elf, before looking back at Chief.

"What's the situation?" Asked Chief, getting straight to business.

"Well…I'll put it bluntly. Things went to shit." Said Jack before explaining. "Garrosh escaped, with the help of a dragon that controls time. To cover their escape, they brought in Orcs of various timelines here and things kind of got hectic."

"Timelines?" Asked Courier, confused a bit. Jack just shrugged.

"I don't know, man. Some magic stuff." Said Jack. "I don't know the details and I think I don't want to know. All that matters, though is Garrosh is gone and likely to be a pain in our necks soon." Chief, angry that Garrosh escaped, clenched his fists before asking Jack of the casualties. "Lots of dead Pandaren, Horde, and Alliance men. Caught us completely off guard. We rounded them all up and locked them up and we're still tending to the wounded. We're not sure how many died."

"I see." Said Chief before looking at Courier. "Go help the medics with treating the wounded."

"Got it." Said Courier before taking High Elf, who had some knowledge on medical training. When the two left, Chief looked at Thalyssra.

"I'm sorry you had to witness this." Said Chief, causing Thalyssra to look at him.

"It's nothing." Said Thalyssra. "I've seen some things from our war with the Burning Legion. Some things that I would like to forget. Stuff like this," She waved a hand to wounded Alliance soldiers. "Is nothing compared to the Burning Legion and the wounds they inflicted on us." Chief just nodded before looking at Jack.

"Where are the Horde and Alliance leaders?" Asked Chief.

"I'll escort you to them. Be warned, they're not exactly in the best of moods." Said Jack before escorting them to the leaders of both Horde and Alliance.

* * *

**Few minutes later**

* * *

"We should have killed back in Orgrimmar." Said Sylvanas as she looked at everyone around the hastily assembled room. It was originally just a storage room, but it was retrofitted hastily for the leaders of both Horde and Alliance to talk. Well argue more like.

"For once, I agree with the banshee." Said Genn, angry that Garrosh escaped. "The Pandaren are nothing sort of useless and naïve. We would be better off without them."

"They're philosophy and way of life could be a boon to us." Argued Tyrande. Although she was angry that Garrosh escaped, along with everyone else, she knew that there needed to be calmer heads in a room full of hot heads. Unfortunately, it seemed only her, Baine, and Thrall seemed to be the only ones.

"Enough about the Pandaren." Said Varian as he looked at a map of all known continents on Azeroth. "We need to focus on finding Garrosh before he plans his next move." He then looked at the Horde leaders. "I don't suppose any of you know where he could be hiding?"

"No. That mad-man not be trusting us with any secret locations he's got." Said Vol'jin, the new leader of the Horde. "Besides, that dragon most likely be sending him to different time all together. We be needing to ask the other dragon to help us with this. Even them, it be hard to find Garrosh before he be ready to strike."

"I was afraid of that." Said Varian as he looked at the map. "All we can do then is just prepare as well as discuss reparations from the Horde." Though the Horde leaders were exasperated to hear that, they knew that it was needed to be discussed.

"Very well. Say the time and place for them discussions to start. We be there." Said Vol'jin after glaring at Varian, who glared back.

"We'll have them at Ratchet." Said Varian. "And they'll…" It was then that Tyrande and Jaina perked up.

"Wait." Said Tyrande as she felt a presence of massive Arcane energy. "Something is approaching." Jaina, also feeling it, drew in Arcane energy to the palm of her hands as she turned to the door, leading to the room. As it opened, she was about to throw the Arcane energy when she saw who was entering.

Sighing, she glared at team Sigma as they approached with an elf, but an elf unlike anything they've seen before.

Upon seeing the new elf, everyone turned around, intrigued at this new elf. She looked like a Nightelf, but has darker shades of purple and had silver, pupililess eyes.

"I see you came back from your trip, Master Chief." Said Varian, eyeing the new elf with them. "Who is this." Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Chief spoke.

"This is First Arcanist Thalyssra, a Nightborne of Suramar." Said Chief, looking at Thalyssra, who bowed in respect at the Horde and Alliance leaders. Upon hearing about Suramar, Tyrande widened her eyes in shock.

"Greetings." Said Thalyssra. "I have come bearing a message from Grand Magistrix Elisande of Suramar city. She wishes to establish trade relations with both the Horde and Alliance." Upon hearing that, everyone, aside from Tyrande, who was still in shock, looked at Thalyssra with interest. After a few minutes, Varian spoke.

"Before we do anything, can you tell us about the Nightborne?" Asked Varian, cautious, along with everyone else.

"Certainly. As you may have guessed, my appearance is similar to the Night elves. That is because I used to be a Night elf along with everyone in my city." Said Explained Thalyssra. "During the war of the Ancients, the people of Suramar city used our magical prowess to create a powerful magical barrier that protected us from the might of the Burning Legion. It worked, but it changed us. Quite severely."

"It also meant that you abandoned us." Said Tyrande, now recovered, glaring at Thalyssra, who winced a bit. "Left us to fight against the Burning Legion alone."

"Unfortunately, the matriarch of the Night elves is correct." Said Thalyssra. "We thought that the war would be lost, so we saved ourselves rather than fight a war that we thought would be lost." Thalyssra bit her lips, wondering what else to say without incurring Tyrande's wrath. She always was…volatile when angered and tended to hold grudges. "If we'd known that it was possible for us to win, we would have helped." Though Tyrande looked skeptical, she nonetheless allowed Thalyssra to continue, knowing that Varian would want these Nightborne in the Alliance. And, as much as she hated to admit, she also wanted them in the Alliance. If only to prevent the Horde from getting them and to see her old birth city again, see if anything was like what she remembered.

"Just speak, Thalyssra." Said Tyrande. "We'll discuss what your people should have done in another time." Thalyssra, nodding at that, then went back to the matter at hand.

"As I've said, I'm here to conduct trade relations with the Horde and Alliance. We recently lowered the barrier and wish to establish relations with some of the higher powers on Azeroth. That is if you'll have us." Said Thalyssra. That caused a lot of the Alliance and Horde leaders to look amongst each other. The Pandaren, though naïve, were still worth the efforts of diplomacy and integration in their ranks, but the Nightborne could be also worth diplomacy as well. Perhaps even more worth the efforts.

From what the Night elves have told them, the people of Suramar were some of the best Arcane users on Azeroth with access to Arcane arts that not even the Kirin Tor knew. And they've no doubt advanced their practices in Arcane magic to even greater heights. That, and the fact that both sides were always welcoming to new faces on Azeroth to replenish their numbers, especially after the amount of wars they had against other forces and, on occasion, each other.

After a few minutes, Vol'jin spoke up.

"This be a very interesting proposal, First Arcanist." Said Vol'jin, staring at the beautiful Nightborne woman. "While we be discussing reparations of the Horde to fix the damages we've done, we be more than happy to initiate talks with the Nightborne."

"And so is the Alliance." Said Varian. "We would be honored to conduct negotiations with another remnant of the Night elf empire." Thalyssra bowed at that.

"I'm pleased to hear both responses." Said Thalyssra. "If needed, I'll wait until you've done with your talks with each other so you can focus on what you need to do. We don't wish to intrude upon what is needed to be done for your factions."

"That is appreciated, but unnecessary." Said Varian. "We have more than enough personal to conduct both discussing reparations and to conduct negotiations with the Nightborne. Just name the time and place, First Arcanist."

"Very well." Said Thalyssra. "If it's possible, we'll do the negotiations next week in Suramar. Grand Magistrix Elisande will want to see your negotiators in person." She then looked at them all. "If that is all, I'll leave you all." With a respectful bow, she left them, taking team Sigma with her.

Once they were gone, Thalyssra sighed.

"I expected Tyrande to be a bit angrier with me. Though I expect that she'll wish to talk with Elisande in private." Said Thalyssra.

"You two met?" Asked Jack.

"I only know her of reputation and vice versa." Said Thalyssra. "We've never actually met in person. If we did, I have no recollection of it."

"Will she affect the negotiations in any way?" Asked Chief.

"No." Said Thalyssra. "We Night elves may carry grudges, but we know when to push them aside when it is called for. Well…most of the time. Besides, if she tries to sabotage the negotiations, it'll make the Night elves look bad within the Alliance and Tyrande isn't stupid. She knows of the value Suramar has to this Alliance. She will want that for the Alliance. And not the Horde. They are in war, yes?"

"Not anymore, but goddamn do they fight a lot against each other." Said Jack, remembering a conversation he had with an Alliance soldier, complaining how much the two sides kept working together only for them to fight against each other in a matter of weeks or months. "Even neutral factions will eventually need to side with one or the other if this keeps up." Thalyssra frowned at that.

"I see." Said Thalyssra. "I'll mention that in my report to Elisande. In the meantime, will you show me to your home? Not so I can discern your situation, but out of curiosity? If it's too much to ask, I understand." Jack and Chief looked at each other before Chief spoke.

"Apologies, but that won't be possible." Said Chief, causing Thalyssra to nod.

"I understand." Said Thalyssra. "Forgive me." She then looked around the temple. "Still, can you escort me around this place? You said this Pandaria is quite beautiful. I would like to see it."

"Of course." Said Chief before looking at Jack. "Take her and show her around Pandaria. You know the place better than anyone we have in the group."

"Uhh…can't." Said Jack. "Got to go and talk to Vereesa. Promised her that I would. You can take Thalyssra though." Chief, emotions hidden behind his helmet, just nodded before looking at Thalyssra.

"Shall we ask one of the Pandaren where to go?" Asked Chief, causing Thalyssra to smile.

"That would be exquisite." Said Thalyssra before following Chief to find a Pandaren, leaving Jack alone.

"Huh." Said Jack. "If Davis was here, he would say he loves her or something." With that, he left, going to find Vereesa.

* * *

**Stormwind city**

* * *

In Stormwind city, the capital for the kingdom of Stormwind, a priest of the Church of light was handling some documents in his private room. At first glance one would assume them to be documents concerning the Church of the Holy Light, the official religion in Stormwind, they were anything but.

The priest had a pale complexion with graying hair. He was buff, for a priest, but wasn't anything impressive, considering the soldiers in the Alliance. The man was in deep thought on what to do as he was reading what the documents are reporting.

"**The cult is in danger of being drive to extinction." **Thought the priest. **"We must find something to restore our power. But what?"** As the man thought of this, a dark voice spoke.

"**Priest Farthing."** Said the dark voice, surprising the priest. Dropping the documents, the priest looked around.

"Who is this?" Demanded the priest called Farthing, getting up from his chair and channeling the light in his palms. "Show yourself."

"**I would advise not making demands of your gods. Unless they're for good reason."** Said the voice, darkening the priest's private room. **"Bow to your god."** The priest then felt a pressure into his mind, causing him to drop to his knees in pain.

"Who are you?" Demanded Farthing.

"**I would have assumed you would have figured it out by now. It seems I was mistaken." **Said the voice. "**No matter. Perhaps this will convince you."** With that, the priest's mind showed him a vision of a dark city, filled with ancient species that the priest has never seen or heard of. It also showed him dark, massive beings that the species bowed down to in fear and worship. Now the priest understood what this being was. How it could avoid Stormwind's vast security systems.

"You…you're an old God." Said Farthing in awe. Upon saying that, the visions stopped, and the priest bowed his head in worship. "Forgive me master, I…I had no idea that I would be able to hear your great voice."

"**You are forgiven this once."** Said the Old God. "Rise and serve your new master, N'Zoth." Farthing then rose and spoke again.

"My master, what compels you to speak to a lowly servant as I?" Asked Farthing. "Do you wish to know of the status of the cult? How we are doing?"

"Yes, I need to know whether or not I can trust the Twilight Hammer Cult to accomplish my goals of claiming Azeroth as my own." Said N'Zoth.

"I'm afraid to say that, after the failure of Deathwing and the death of our leadership, we're at an all-time low." Said Farthing. "Recruitment has slowed to a crawl. Our faith is waning. I've ordered the remnants of our order to stay hidden. To regrow our strength in order to better serve our masters in the future."

"The time to serve your masters has come." Said N'Zoth. "But not in a traditional way. I want you to remain hidden. Recruit as much as you please, but remain hidden. Only act when I say so. Is that understood?"

"Of course, master." Said Farthing. "We serve you and the other Old Gods. We will do as you order."

"Good." Said N'Zoth, satisfied. "I have some tasks for you to do. I want you to send out small, but capable, members to all the continents on Azeroth. I need them to raid certain locations. Locations with items that can bring forth more of my followers."

"Ah, bring forth more creations of the void, correct?" Asked Farthing.

"No." Said N'Zoth simply, confusing Farthing. "These items will not bring forth creatures of the void, no, rather they'll bring something more…fitting for what I have planned. Just find the items and inform me when you do. Is that understood?" Farthing, still a bit confused, nonetheless nodded.

"Of course, great one." Said Farthing. "We will do what you ask."

"Good. Continue to do so and I will ensure that you all have a place in my great empire." Said N'Zoth. "Now, listen close. For I have other tasks for you. First, tell your fellow followers that an Old God is now communicating with them. That should improve your faith. Second, find me the dagger called Xal'atath. It contains a being that can help us fulfill our destiny."

"I'm already working on that, great one. My agents inform me that we're close to finding the dagger. I will inform you when we found it." Said Farthing with confidence.

"Good. I must leave now." Said N'Zoth. "I've stayed for too long. Any longer and those foolish other priests would discover me. Have faith, however, our reckoning will come in your lifetime." With that, N'Zoth left Farthing's mind, which caused the room to immediately brighten up. Not a moment after, the door to Farthing's door opened, revealing another priest.

"Priest Farthing. The morning seminar is commencing soon. Are you ready?" Asked the priest. Shaking his head, Farthing simply coughed a bit before speaking.

"Of course, I was simply going over some documents concerning the church." Said Farthing as he looked at the documents. The priest, believing that, nodded and left him alone. Once he was gone, Farthing smiled.

"**The Old Gods time is coming." **Thought Farthing as he walked out of his room, locking it. "**And both the Horde and Alliance will not stop it."**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Destins- You'll find out later on.**

**Plums- I can understand where you're getting at. This is just N'Zoth planning to gather as many resources as he can to make his move. If he knew about the whole Iron Horde and legion stuff, he would have adjusted his plan a bit. But since he doesn't…well he'll just have to do on the go thinking.**

**Guest- If it was, then my information must be off. Ah well, too late to change it.**

**4/7/20- Rewritten slightly.**

* * *

"Uh, Vereesa?" Asked Jack as he knocked on Vereesa's door. "You in?"

"Yes." Said Vereesa, sounding miserable.

"Can I come in?" Asked Jack. It took a minute, but the door opened, revealing Vereesa, eyes red from crying. Not saying anything, Jack entered and watched as Vereesa closed the door. She then led him to the bed, where they sat next to each other. "I'm sorry about your brother. Him dying again…must have been hard for both of you." Vereesa didn't say anything for a few minutes before speaking.

"He died in the 2nd war with the Orcs." Explained Vereesa. "He, along with several others of our family, was the reason my other sister, Alleria, left Azeroth to kill the Orcs in revenge. She never came back with her husband, leaving her child here with us." Hearing that caused Jack to take off his helmet and look at Vereesa with even more sympathy.

"I can't imagine the pain you felt." Said Jack. He didn't have any siblings, just a mom that was hospitalized permanently for a disease that left her a vegetable. "Losing your brother and losing your sister so quickly. And then losing the rest of your family, only for your other sister to come back as…I guess a zombie. It…must be hard."

"It was." Said Vereesa, looking at her hands. "Our brother wanted to be a ranger, just like us. He was just so full of happiness and joy. Sylvanas thought he would be better off as an artist than a ranger, but she couldn't help but smile when he tried out archery with us." She smiled a bit at that, but then frowned and teared up. "It pains me to imagine how he died. Fearful and scared." She then remembered how Alleria reacted when she heard. She never saw her so full of anger and hatred before. When Sylvanas tried to talk to her, she just yelled that she was leaving Silvermoon to finish the Orcs off once and for all. They argued about that until Sylvanas left, fuming at their sister's refusal to see reason and inability to see that their people needed her, now more than ever.

She herself was hurt that Alleria was so adamant in fighting the Orcs than be with her remaining family, but looking back on it, she could understand why she did. Especially when she lost her beloved Rhonin. Seeing her so sad, Jack did something that he thought she would punch him for, but did it anyway. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

At first, Vereesa wanted to push back and yell at him, but a voice in her told her to allow it. No matter what, it felt good to have someone tried to comfort her. And the way Jack held her, it felt similar to when Rhonin comforted her when she found out Sylvanas was turned into a banshee. Placing her head on Jack's shoulder, something that surprised the pilot, Vereesa closed her eyes as she basked in Jack's embrace. It was tough, unlike Rhonin's gentler embrace, but it will work for now.

Jack, meanwhile, was awkwardly touching his beard with his other hand, wondering what to do next. After a few minutes, he got his answer when Vereesa spoke.

"You didn't really plan for this much, did you?" Asked Vereesa, eyes still closed. Jack just coughed at that, knowing she was right.

"Yeah, just planned to talk with you and that's it. Didn't really put much effort in what to talk about." Said Jack, causing Vereesa to snort.

"You're just like my husband in that regard." Said Vereesa. "He was so terrible in comforting me. In anything beyond physical, at least." Jack nodded at that.

"What was he like? Your husband?" Asked Jack. Vereesa just pursed her lips at that.

"He was a good man." Said Vereesa. "He was like Jaina in many ways. Before the Horde destroyed Theramore. He believed that there was good in the Horde, no matter their previous actions. That's why, when he was the leader of the Kirin Tor, he allowed people affiliated with the Horde to visit Dalaran. It didn't make him popular with some of the pro Alliance people in Dalaran, but he remained firm in the belief that the Horde wasn't evil and that both superpowers can coexist."

"You believe that?" Asked Jack.

"No." Said Vereesa, honestly. "We argued so much over his beliefs and ideals. I didn't believe there was even an ounce of good within the Horde, not even from my former people. I still don't. Some of our arguments left us sleeping in opposite rooms, but we always reconcile in the end. We still loved each other, regardless of what we believe." Jack smiled at that.

"Sounds like a guy that I can get along with." Said Jack.

"You would probably like him." Agreed Vereesa before frowning and tearing up. "I miss him." Jack nodded before holding Vereesa tighter.

"If you want to cry more, do it. No shame in doing it." Said Jack as he placed a hand on Vereesa's silver hair. After a minute, Vereesa began to sob, placing her face on Jack's chest to muffle her cries. Jack just let it happen as he patted Vereesa's back.

* * *

**Chief and Thalyssra**

**Pandaria**

**Paw'don Village**

* * *

"This is beyond beautiful." Said Thalyssra as she watched a waterfall flow from a mountain near them in Paw'don village, the place where they decided to relax in.

"I suppose." Said Chief as they walked around the village, ignoring the various Pandaren tending to the apple fields in the village's orchard, which is known for their apple cider. As they walked, Chief never thought he would do something like this. Walking with an alien in a village full of other aliens that were tending to something that came, or at the least looked like, something that came from Earth. He, a warrior built and trained to be nothing more than a killing machine. If only the other Spartans could see him now.

"The way they tend to their fruit." Said Thalyssra as she saw Pandaren tend to apples, harvesting them and checking for any faults in them. "It reminds me of the Vineyards in Suramar. They treat them with care and elegance. Much like our vintners. Especially Margaux." Remembering the eccentric vintner, Thalyssra smiled. Chief, however, just kept silent as they found a quiet place to watch the Pandaren work. Sitting down, Thalyssra basked in the beauty around her, impressed with what she saw. Despite it all being so different to Nightborne and Night elf architecture, Pandaren architecture still held beauty within itself. After a few minutes of watching the Pandaren and their work, she looked at Chief and frowned, seeing that he was just watching and nothing else.

"You don't seem to enjoy yourself." Said Thalyssra, sensing Chief's apathy towards what he was seeing. It wasn't out of indifference or hatred for the Pandaren. Rather it was more out of…an inability to understand the beauty around him.

"I don't understand how you could see beauty in this." Said Chief, honest. "All I see are people working an honest life, working hard to provide for their people and family. But I don't understand how they aren't looking at us in suspicion. Why they are letting their guard down around strangers. And I don't understand seeing beauty in things like this." Frowning at that, Thalyssra placed a hand on Chief's own.

"Tell me, you were a warrior for the majority of your life, correct?" Asked Thalyssra, looking at Chief's golden visor. Chief just nodded. "Did you have a childhood? A normal one without violence?"

"I used to." Said Chief, knowing that lying to her wasn't really a good thing, especially with how much they've done to earn her people's trust. And since she can detect lies, it didn't seem like it was worth the effort to lie to her. At least until he figured out a way to lie without her knowing.

"Do you remember your childhood?" Asked Thalyssra. If he didn't, she would be so sad.

"Only parts." Said Chief. "I remember my mother being kind and smelling of soap. And that I played a games with other kids back home. I always won them."

"Nothing else?" Asked Thalyssra, looking sad at Chief, who simply nodded.

"Aside from remembering a few childhood friends, nothing else." Said John. "Not even the names of my mother and father." Thalyssra grew upset at hearing that and tightened her hold on Chief's hand. Not remembering your own parents…that was something that always saddened Thalyssra. With her skills in the arts of the Arcane, she could always relieve moments with her family, both sad and happy ones. Even those that didn't have access to the Arcane arts was still able to do so by asking an Arcanist skilled in such magic. Although she didn't know if humans had access to the Arcane, she suspected this John didn't have access to such individuals.

"Do you regret it? Not remembering much of your childhood?" Asked Thalyssra, eyeing Chief with sympathy and sadness. Chief just immediately responded.

"I don't know." Said Chief, honest in his answer. Although he was completely fine with his fate, he always wondered what his father was like. What he used to be like. He never tried to ask Doctor Halsey, the mastermind behind the Spartan II program, about his childhood. Largely due to lack of interest in such matters, especially since he had to completely focus on his training to becoming the man he was now. But now that the war was over, at least he thought it was back in his world, he began to wonder about his past life. "I've never had an opportunity to ask about it. Nor did I have any interest on it. There was simply too much to do in order for me to do something so selfish." Thalyssra frowned at that.

"I see." Said Thalyssra, remembering the images she saw and shivering at the memories of such acts, especially the burning world. "But now that you no longer have to do such things, do you want to know?"

"Perhaps a part of me." Said Chief. "But anyone who knew about my past are either dead or are people I can't speak to. Not without them discovering the Spartan program's classified materials." Thalyssra frowned even more at that. The way Master Chief spoke of the Spartan program and its classified material, it made Thalyssra suspect that it was something that she would disagree on.

"I see." Said Thalyssra, her curiosity towards the Spartan program growing more, though she didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. Still, she sympathized with her companion and wanted him to know about his parents, a bit more at least. And she had the ability to do so.

"If you allow it, I can peek deeper into your mind, to see your childhood." Said Thalyssra. "I can even bring forth the memories into the physical world and allow you to witness them yourself. If that is what you wish." Upon hearing that, Chief looked at Thalyssra.

"How?" Asked Chief. He knew the magic here was powerful, but he never expected it to allow one to bring forth memories into the physical world. Thalyssra simply smiled.

"I don't think you want to spend your vacation time in Pandaria with me explaining the arts of the Arcane." Teased Thalyssra. "Unless you wish to spend several hours listening to me explaining the arts of divination." Seeing her smile, made Chief simply nod.

"Understood." Said Chief before contemplating if he should take her offer. On one hand it would satisfy the curiosity he had with his childhood, but on the other, it might enrage her when she found out how he used to live, only to figure out what the Spartan program did to him and many other children. While he was perfectly fine with what happened to him, a great deal of people would not be. Thalyssra especially. That being said, it's unlikely that she can do anything significant to the UNSC. Aside from being the fact that she had no way to contact the UNSC, what she said would hold little sway with the populace. With the war with the Covenant costing billions of human lives, he doubted any UNSC civilian would trust the word of an alien. Even with her abilities, they'll refuse to listen. Heck, they might see her trying to manipulate them against the UNSC, the government that saved humanity in the war with the Covenant. Debating it over and over in his mind, Chief nodded.

"Alright. I'm alright with it." Said Chief as he looked at Thalyssra. "But just my childhood. Nothing else." Thalyssra tilted her head at that.

"Worried that I'll take military secrets?" Asked Thalyssra, teasing a bit, though she understood the warning. Being skilled in the arts of divination, it wouldn't be too difficult for Thalyssra to see through Chief's mind and see whatever she wanted, even things that he forgot. No matter how powerful his mental defenses are, without proper training or even with it, no secret can be kept from those skilled in the arts of divinations. Unless they were more skilled in the arcane arts themselves. "Do not worry. I swear that I won't take any military secrets unless ordered to. Or if I feel like it is needed for the safety of my people." Chief nodded at that.

"I understand." Said Chief, respecting Thalyssra's want to protect her people from danger. It reminded him of himself and his fellow Spartans. With that, Thalyssra placed both of her hands on the sides of Chief's head. She didn't really need to do it, but it helped concentrate her energy. Plus, she rather liked the feeling of Chief's helmet, how her fingers brushed against the hard metal of the green helmet. Perhaps it was the individual?

Arcane energy flowing through her hands, Thalyssra began to view Chief's mind, who, used to the feeling, ignored the tingling sensation he that came with this.

Careful to avoid his more recent memories, aka the ones with the war that he had to fight in, Thalyssra delved into Chief's older memories, searching every nook and cranny for what she was seeking.

Chief, meanwhile, was starting to feel uncomfortable with her probing his minds and relayed this to Thalyssra.

"Forgive me." Said Thalyssra as she continued to probe. "I should have mentioned the older the memory, the more I have to dig deep into your mind. Tell me when you wish for me to stop."

Though a part of Chief told him to make her stop, another part allowed it, seeing no harm in allowing it to happen. Eventually, Thalyssra found what she was looking for and began to project it in front of them, though only Chief needed it.

In it, he saw a young boy playing out in a hill with other kids. Despite how young the boy was and the fact that the images didn't show him the color of the boy's hair or his eyes, Chief knew that boy was him. The way he held himself. The confidence. It then showed a woman coming up towards the kids and singling the boy out.

"I remember this." Said Chief as he saw the woman and the boy exchange some words before the woman brought out an old coin used before the UNSC, before humanity was able to travel through the stars. "This was the day I meet Halsey, the creator of the Spartan II program."

"I see." Said Thalyssra as she felt the emotions coming from the boy. The confidence. The happiness he had with playing the kids. And the smugness that came when the boy won the game with the woman called Halsey. The latter two a far cry from the man with her now. "These are your friends?"

"Some of them were." Said Chief as he saw the boy winning the game Halsey played with him, the memories coming back as he watched this all unfold again. As the woman took off, the boy went back to the other kids, eager to show off his prize. Seeing the memory, Chief remembered how proud his parents were when he showed them the coin. And how happy he was to show it off to his friends. "They all were jealous of me winning, both the coin and the game we played, but they suspected I would win. I always win that game."

"I can tell." Said Thalyssra. "The confidence you had as a kid was indicative of such traits. Shall I continue? This time with your parents?" Chief just nodded and Thalyssra went to his mind again, this time going a bit deeper. After a few seconds, Thalyssra saw something that surprised her a bit. "What is this?" Thalyssra then showed an image of Chief as a young boy celebrating with two adults, which Chief assumed to be his parents. With them was a cake dotted with six candles. Even with his limited knowledge of civilian practices, Chief knew that it was a birthday party. His birthday party.

"This is a birthday party. We humans celebrate the year of our birth." Explained Chief as he watched the young boy blew out the candles and began eating the cake with his parents. "The candles represent our current age. Since there are six candles, that means I was six years old at the time of that party."

"I see." Said Thalyssra, intrigued by this. "We elves don't celebrate the day of our birth. Tell me, is it common amongst your people?"

"Yes." Said Chief. "We give gifts to the birthday boy or girl. And shower them with affection. That's what I've been told of them." Thalyssra frowned at that.

"You Spartans never had a birthday party?" Asked Thalyssra. Chief just shook his head.

"No." Said Chief. "That party was the last one I've ever had." Thalyssra couldn't help but feel pity for Chief. She then felt the sudden flow of emotions coming from Chief, anger and sadness. Both of which soon went away, causing her to blink in surprise.

"You're conflicted." Said Thalyssra as she stopped looking through Chief's mind and placed her hands on her lap.

"I'm not." Said Chief, firmly. "I've made peace with what I've become. I don't resent those that made me a Spartan." Thalyssra couldn't help but tilt her head at that.

"So…the Spartan program wasn't volunteer." Said Thalyssra, looking at Chief before placing a hand on Chief's helmet. "Am I right?" Chief just stayed silent a bit before nodding.

"It wasn't." Said Chief, intending to be honest with the elf woman as it would anything else would just disappoint and anger her, especially after all that she has done for him. "That's all I can say. It's a matter of national security for the UNSC. Try to understand. You wouldn't trust me with secrets that can destroy the trust your people had with your government, right?" Thalyssra frowned at that. Wanting to bite back, but knew that Master Chief was right. Sighing, she let go of Chief's helmet and decided to move on.

"Moving on." Said Thalyssra, looking away. "Do you care about the Pandaren?"

"I don't understand why they wanted to let Garrosh go." Said Chief, looking at the Panda-like beings before them. "It showcases a sense of naivety that can cost them in the long run." Thalyssra couldn't help but agree. Even if she doesn't know the extent of Garrosh's crimes, what she did know was enough for her to want him dead or at the least locked up forever, never to see the light of day again. "Still, I'll protect them from harm." That caused Thalyssra to look at Chief in surprise. "Despite their naivety. Despite me not understanding their way of life, I'll still protect them. They have people that are innocent to the cruelty of war. That don't deserve death early on in their lives. And if I have to sacrifice my life to ensure their safety, so be it." That caused Thalyssra to smile at Chief. Despite him not understanding the Pandaren and disagreeing with their decision towards Garrosh, he'll still protect them because he knows that not everyone Pandaren knew or even had a say in the punishment for Garrosh.

Placing a hand on his leg, she spoke to him.

"That's very admirable for you to say." Said Thalyssra with a smile. "Would you do the same for my people?"

"Yes." Said Chief. "Even if I had to sacrifice my life to do so." That caused Thalyssra to smile wider.

"I appreciate it." Said Thalyssra. "You have a kind heart. I wish there were more people like you." Chief just stayed silent as Thalyssra placed her head on Chief's neck, something that Chief ignored. "You know, people would get the wrong idea with this pose of ours. Are you at peace with them spreading rumors about us?"

"I have confidence that people can tell we're just friends." Said Chief, causing Thalyssra to smirk.

"You do not have the desire to advance our relations together?" Teased Thalyssra, looking at Chief with a cheeky smile. What she got surprised her.

"Do you?" Asked Chief, completely stoic. Blinking at that, Thalyssra processed the question. Looking at Chief, she couldn't help but wonder if he was a suitable mate.

While he definitely could do some work on the social department, he had some admirable qualities. His selfless nature. His courage, tenacity, and strong will are all strong points toward him being a suitable mate. Though she didn't know if he was good with kids, she wouldn't mind giving a few pointers to him when necessary.

Tilting her head in thought, Thalyssra spoke.

"I suppose you might be a worthy mate for the First Arcanist of Suramar." Said Thalyssra. "Though Elisande will be furious with me mating with someone outside of our own people."

"You'll ignore her." Said Chief. "Love is something I don't understand, but I know that it can make people do stupid things, but also make them do brave things that they normally wouldn't do." Thalyssra's ears twitched at that, not sure if that was an insult or compliment

"And which of those do you think I belong in?" Asked Thalyssra, looking at Chief with curiosity.

"Given your intelligence and care for your people, you wouldn't do anything stupid. Not when your people are in danger. I have confidence that you'll do the right decision when it comes to love and for your people's future." Said Chief. Thalyssra smiled at that.

"I'm grateful for your confidence in me." Said Thalyssra. "But going back to the original subject, if I do want a mate, I think you'll make a good one." Chief just looked at her, slightly surprised.

"I see." Said Chief before looking back at the Pandaren. The answer caused Thalyssra to giggle before going back to watching the Pandaren working.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Jack**

* * *

"You done?" Asked Jack as Vereesa finally stopped crying. Looking at Jack, Vereesa wiped her bloodshot eyes and nodded.

"Yes…thank you for being here." Said Vereesa as she let go of Jack and looked at him with gratefulness. "Your presence and aid, despite what you pulled with my children, was of great aid to me. I just wish Sylvanas was here to help me."

"Didn't talk to her?" Asked Jack, curious.

"No, after she left, I went straight for my room. I don't know where she is. I hoped she would come, but I got you. Not that I'm not grateful for you aid." Said Vereesa. Jack coughed at that.

"Well, given what I know of your sister, she's probably out killing something." Said Jack, causing Veeresa to laugh a bit, in sadness though.

"You're probably right." Said Vereesa. "She's changed so much since turning to banshee. She used to be so kind. A bit arrogant and, how you humans say, tomboyish, but kind and gentle to those that knew her. But now…she's just so cruel and callous. She doesn't care who lives and dies. Its like I'm facing a completely different person to the Sylvanas I knew."

"You think you two can reconcile?" Asked Jack. Vereesa bit her lip at the question.

"Yes." Said Vereesa. "While we were conspiring to kill Garrosh, she invited me to become an undead like her. She offered me a place amongst her people and to rule them with her. I told her I'll consider her offer and, for a time, I truly thought of doing it and being reconnected with my sister." Vereesa then sighed. "But then our brother died. Again. It made me realize, along with the sadness, that I still had family in the form of my children. What would happen to them if I turn into an undead ranger? Would they join with me? Would they still accept me as their mother? During this whole trial, I never thought of them and how they'll react if I become undead. It brings shame to me for neglecting them during these trying times."

"So, what are you saying?" Asked Jack, confused.

"I'm saying that I'm not going to take Sylvanas's offer to join her in Undercity. I still have family that I care about and need to take care of." Said Vereesa. She then began to rub her hands together. "The problem is, I don't how to face her. She seemed so…happy when I told her I'll consider her offer. She'll be devastated to hear that I'll refuse it." Jack widened his eyes at that, a bit shocked to hear that. After a minute, he sighed as he rubbed his hair.

"Well, I'm not really good with this type of stuff." Said Jack. "Nor do I know much of your sister and her personality. How you going to tell her?"

"I'm going to write a letter." Said Vereesa. "I'll have someone deliver it to her before I leave for Dalaran. Hopefully, she'll understand." Jack couldn't help but choke on that. He may not know much on stuff like this, but he knew enough that no one should confess something as important as this by something so impersonal. Especially with someone as volatile as Sylvanas.

"Um, not to be rude, but that is one of the most insensitive things that you can break the news to your sister." Said Jack. "And this is coming from someone who doesn't have siblings."

"Then what else can I do!?" Demanded Vereesa, looking at Jack with desperate eyes. "I don't want to see the hurt in my sister's eyes when I reject her. To tell her I still want to be among the living!"

"But you should still see your sister about your decision. Face to face. She deserves that much at least. Right?" Asked Jack. Vereesa was about to say something, but stopped. Knowing that Jack was right. "Look, if it helps I'll be there to give up support. Even if she blames me for stopping you from joining with her, it's better than her being mad at you." Surprised to hear that, Vereesa looked at Jack, who simply smirked. Touched by his words, Vereesa nonetheless shook her head.

"I don't want her to be made at you Jack. Mainly because that might cause you to lose your life." Said Vereesa. "I don't want that. Not anymore." Jack sighed then.

"Then I guess we need someone as a mediator. Someone that can convince Sylvanas to reconcile with you and not be furious with either of us." Said Jack. "Because you need to face your sister face to face with your decision."

"But who?" Asked Vereesa, knowing that Jack was right. "Who can do that for us? Because Sylvanas is one of the most stubborn elves in existence. It'll take someone with amazing diplomatic skills to get her to see our way." Jack just coughed at that.

"Well, I do have one person that fits the bill." Said Jack, causing Vereesa to raise her eyebrows in skepticism.

"Who?" Asked Vereesa.

* * *

**Ten minutes later**

* * *

"So, let me get this straight." Said Courier as he looked back and forth between Jack and Vereesa. "You guys want me to act as some family counselor so that Sylvanas will, at the very least, understand her sister's choice and not go crazy with anger and grief. And also not to blame someone else for it, like you Jack?"

"That's basically what we want from you." Said Jack after coughing a bit while Vereesa nodded. Courier shook his head at that.

"The things people do for love." Said Courier. "You two must be head over heels in love with each other if you're going this far for each other." Upon hearing that, they both blushed hard.

"There is nothing between us." Said Vereesa, glaring at Courier, though it wasn't really fearsome with her reddening cheeks. Courier, however, just snorted.

"And I didn't talk to my brain." Said Courier, knowing how crazy that sounded. "Deny it all you want guys, but you guys love each other. I can see it." The two blushed harder at that, causing Courier to sigh. "Look, I'll do this, if you guys go on a date. Otherwise, get some other poor bastard to act as a counselor for this. Because this will be a dozy. A very big dozy. Though, considering I'm the only one that actually has a silver tongue in this temple, I think you guys should accept my condition." Jack and Vereesa looked at each other, pondering this, before nodding.

"Fine, you bastard. If that it'll get your help with this." Said Jack with Vereesa nodding.

"This better end well for us." Said Vereesa as the two got up. "For us and my sister."

"Relax. If I can convince a stubborn, man with a vendetta against my country and me to reconcile with me and then fight with me against a bunch of crazy cannibals, then I can do the same to a crazy banshee elf to make peace with her sister. And her new boyfriend." Said Courier, laughing as the two blushed. As the two denied feelings towards each other, Courier led them to the courtyard, where Sylvanas was last spotted, speaking with Vol'jin about something.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Northern Kalimdor**

* * *

"Quiet. We don't want to attract the attention of the Night elves." Said a human in leather armor as he led a group of humans and Orcs towards a location that their leader, Farthing, somewhere in Northern Kalimdor. The location wasn't exactly close to the Night Elf city, Darnassus, but there was still the possibility of them stumbling on a Night elf patrol in the forest they were in. The Night Elves were quite territorial when it came to their forests.

"Bah. Why are we here?" Demanded an Orc, brandishing his axe, eager for some blood. "We should be taking the fight to the nonbelievers in the Horde and Alliance. Not sulking around in a forest."

"Because our god demands it." Said the human leader, glaring at the Orc, who glared back. "Our god believes that we must gather more strength first if we are to succeed. If we strike now, we'll never see his glorious victory." The Orc grumbled at that, but nonetheless, complied and stayed silent. Their other companion, a Dark Iron Dwarf, looked at the map that was given to them by Farthing.

"Hmm, we should be at the location in under several hours." Said the Dwarf. "According to Farthing, what we are looking for is behind a metal door unlike anything we've seen before. It'll have this symbol." The Dwarf then showed a piece of parchment with a symbol on it.

The symbol was strange. It had a black E on it, yet the middle line of the E was three black stripes that had space between each other and the rest of the letter. To top it all off, the E was surrounded by multiple black stars. It was an odd symbol, but if it lead them to achieving greater power, than they wouldn't question it.

"And then at the door, we have to say this sentence when a metal ball that floats in the air asks for a password, right?" Asked the human. The Dwarf nodded.

"Bah. If it weren't for the Old God proclaiming this must be completed, I would have laughed at this mission." Said the Orc. His companions ignored him and they went their way towards their destination.

* * *

**Few hours later**

* * *

"This is it!?" Demanded the Orc as the trio made it to their designation, the base of a small hill. To their disappointment, all they saw was just grass and trees, no metal door or anything. It stunned them beyond belief.

"This can't be." Said the Dwarf as he looked at the map, checking to see if he got it wrong or something. "According to this map, we're at the location. But there's nothing here."

"Foolish Dwarf!" Yelled the Orc as he stomped right up to the Dwarf and glared at the Dwarf. "You led us to a dead end! If it weren't forbidden by our god I would…" The Orc couldn't say anymore when they heard strange noises coming right towards them. They couldn't really describe it well, but it seemed that it was a metallic whirring sound and it was coming closer.

Readying their weapons, the three Twilight Hammer cultists were shocked to see a metal floating ball with antennas at the back of it was floating towards them. Along with those antennas was a tiny tube on the bottom of the ball.

Still cautious, the human walked up to it. Looking at the human, the metal ball spoke.

"Password?" Asked the ball, looking at the human with its faceless front. Coughing a bit, the human spoke.

"Access code: Navarro." Said the human. Upon hearing those words, the ball registered the words and shook around a bit.

"Access granted." Said the ball before parts of the hill slide over other parts and revealed a large metal door and on said door was the symbol they were looking for. As the three Twilight cultists members looked at the door in shock, the ball spoke.

"Welcome to vault 4, followers of N'Zoth." Said the ball. "Follow this unit and it will show you its contents." With that the ball went towards the door, specifically at a strange metal board next to it. After shooting a bright light at a small hole in the board, the door began to open. Once it was fully opened, the ball turned towards the cult members and motioned for them to follow it, which they did after a minute.

"What are you?" Asked the human as the door closed once, they entered.

"To being, this unit is not sentient." Said the ball once the door closed. It then led then deeper inside the vault. "I am merely using it as a way to communicate with you three. I am at the master control vault, where the largest contents of advanced technology and weapons are stored. No doubt you are all confused, rest assured, all will be revealed in time, travelers. For now, I will tell you my name. I am super tactical droid RG-54. However, prior to my affiliation to the Old God N'Zoth, I was called Mortem."

"So, you used to work for the Alliance? The Horde?" Asked the human as they walked with the ball. What they got surprised them.

"No. I formerly worked for a power that is beyond the capabilities of the Alliance and Horde in terms of everything except magical prowess. However, once N'Zoth has been freed from his shackles and has acquired the technology from the vaults, then the magical prowess possessed by both Alliance and Horde will be rendered moot." Said the voice as it led them to a large open room. In the room was, to their shock, were large, black colored suits of armor that fully encased the user. Judging from their size, they were all meant for humans only.

"What are these things?" Asked the human in shock. The voice spoke in a tone that resembled satisfaction.

"One of the many things that N'Zoth needs to finally win." Said the voice.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

"By N'Zoth." Said the human in awe as he saw all the suits of black armor as he walked down the room that contained them all. They all had the same design.

Thick metal painted in black that completely covered the wearer, much like the armor for standard Stormwind soldiers, but unlike those suits of armor, this one completely covered the user, no opening in the helmet was made to allow the user to breathe. Instead the helmet was completely sealed off and was designed with an intimidating glare and some strange mouthpiece where the mouth was that had three circles on it along with two larger circles that were placed at the cheeks. On the torso were several brown tubes that connected the chest piece to the back, where the tubes ended at the user's neck along with a large tube that went to the user's back. It was such a strange, yet terrifying design that can place despair into the enemy's hearts when they look at it.

"Intrigued." Said the one called Mortem as his puppet floated over to him and his compatriots. "This is the Hellfire power armor, used for frontline assault or vanguard units. Designed by the political entity known as the Enclave, this piece of mechanized armor was the last design they had ever made before they been reduced to a mere handful of individuals. It still is, however, one of the most powerful pieces of armored equipment I've seen in my entire life. I've made improvements to the design, however, to make it even more deadly."

"How so?" Asked the human as he and the Dwarf examined one suit, their Orc compatriot just grunted as he wondered what else this vault had for them.

"It took some trial and error, but I've managed to include a personal energy shield into all these suits." Said Mortem as the bot went up and down in front of the armor that the Twilight Hammer members were observing. "I've also taken the liberty to upgrade the helmet's targeting parameters and heads up display as well as integrating firearms into the wrists." To demonstrate, the bot did something to the armor that caused it's wrists to open up to reveal two small tubes in each wrist. "10 mm caliber rounds. I would have preferred larger caliber rounds, but all other calibers were either too heavy, didn't provide sufficient enough ammunition to justify the upgrade, or were too weak to be of any use. You'll need training to use these suits of armor without breaking your limbs, but once done, you'll have at your disposal an advanced piece of armor that surpass anything in the Horde and Alliance arsenal."

The human Twilight hammer cultist just frowned. True, it all sounded good and the cult needed some good staying power, but the man wanted something more maneuverable. More lighter. He was trained as a rogue. Trained to assassinate high target individuals or sabotage important enemy infrastructure.

"All this sounds all well and good, but don't have anything more lighter?" Asked the human as he looked at the bot. He though Mortem would get angry, but the remark didn't hold anything against the human for suggesting such a question.

"Of course, not everything in this vault contains frontline combat gear." Said Mortem as he spoke in a dull tone as if speaking all through with a script. "This vault also contains stealth gear and weaponry that can make assassination or sabotage missions more efficient. If you will follow this unit, it'll lead you to them."

"Does this vault also contain equipment for Orcs and Dwarfs?" Asked the Iron Dwarf, in awe of all this. The Orc just grunted, but also wanted to know if there was stuff for him and other Orcs that followed N'Zoth. If this vault contained only stuff for humans…

"Of course." Said Mortem. "Part of the objective of the vaults is to not only hide all this equipment from Alliance, Horde, or other prying eyes, but they're object was also making some of this equipment available to other races of the Twilight Hammer cult. I will bring forth two more Eyebot units to lead you two to the sections of this vault that contain equipment made for Dwarves and Orcs. For now, I will lead this human to a room that contains items he desires." With that, the eyebot began to leave, forcing the human to follow it. Soon, two more arrived and led the Orc and Dwarf to sections that had equipment for their species.

As the Twilight hammer cultists followed the machines, they all knew that what they uncovered would help their organization survive, even flourish. Perhaps even make them rival the Alliance and Horde in power.

* * *

**Few minutes later**

**Human cult member**

* * *

"Tell me." Said Mortem as he had his Eyebot escort the human towards the section that had all the gear that the human had asked for. "Since we are allies, I would like to know you. Studies have shown that knowing one's cohorts' abilities can be the difference between defeat and victory." The human, who had been marveling at how large the vault was, snapped to attention at the Eyebot.

"My name is Derek. Derek Swifthand." Said the human as he looked at the Eyebot.

"I see." Said Mortem as the Eyebot continued to float towards their destination, not looking at Derek. "May I ask why you joined the Twilight Hammer cult?" Upon hearing the question, the human glared at the Eyebot. "I see. Not something you wish to divulge. That is alright. It was merely an attempt to, as humans say, pass the time. We will arrive to our destination in a few more minutes." With that the rest of the trip went in silence.

Derek, upon hearing the question, began to think of his past. How he became a member of the Twilight hammer cult.

He wasn't always a rogue. He wasn't even a soldier. Heck, he never held a knife of sword for most of his life. Back then, he was just a farm boy living in Westfall, a region that was known for providing much food to the kingdom of Stormwind. Well it used to until the 2nd war. Before Stormwind's rulers left them to fend for themselves against the Horde, bandits, and any other threat that can pose a threat to the people of Westfall.

Ever since the 2nd war with the Horde, the people of Stormwind has left the people of Westfall to fend for themselves, claiming that they couldn't afford to protect them without transferring soldiers from more vital areas, like outposts dedicating to watching the Horde or military campaigns such as the one against Deathwing the destroyer sometime ago. Despite the fact that they produced a good portion of food for the capital of Stormwind and its other territories, they were left to fend for themselves. To make matters worse, due to the of war and neglect of Stormwind, crops in the region began to fail. Food production was barely enough to feed the people in Westfall, let alone give Stormwind their tributes of food. Though the crown had promised to come for them in their time of need, such aid never came until the Defias Brotherhood came and proved to be a threat.

The Defias Brotherhood, an rebel organization opposed to the rulers of Stormwind, came and took Westfall for themselves, taking what little the people had for their own benefit. Using what coin and food they had to spare to grow and rebuild what they lost sometime ago, back when the Brotherhood was led by a man named Edwin VanCleef. Now led by his daughter, Vanessa VanCleef, the Brotherhood suck dry the people of Westfall of their dwindling resources for their own need for vengeance against Stormwind. Even recruiting some people of Westfall to join their ranks, either through force or, perhaps more common, stoking Westfall's own hatred for Stormwind and the crown to make them join the Brotherhood.

And it went on for months, even years. To make matters worse, when the Alliance came and helped them, it wasn't for them. It was for the Defias Brotherhood. And when they proved no longer a threat, they pulled away all their troops, not giving the people of Westfall even a platoon of soldiers to help them defend themselves. They didn't even give them a single crate of food as recompense for letting the Defias Brotherhood bully them around for so long.

It made Derek all made and sick to the stomach how the people for Stormwind were all living good lives, with good food and water, while the people of Westfall suffered from their own neglect. When they should be protecting them from bandits and other threats to them.

But getting back to Derek, he was just a simple farm boy, living with his mother, father, and two sisters. They, like everyone else in Westfall, were barely able to grow enough food for themselves. What little coin they had was given to the Defias Brotherhood, who had imposed a "protection tax" on everyone in Westfall. If they couldn't give them food or money, they'll pay the price in blood. That was something their fellow farmers can attest to.

Derek, who had been helping his father with their sole field of wheat, was angry with the Defias Brotherhood and Stormwind. The brotherhood for making their lives even hard and Stormwind for allowing this to happen and letting it drag on for years on end. Still, there wasn't anything he could do. His best friend and his whole family paid the price for resisting and they're corpses were used as an example to future dissenters.

His father, not wanting his family hurt, did what he was told along with Derek, who also didn't want his family killed as well. So, for awhile at least, they were free from harm. They gave what they could to the Defias Brotherhood to keep themselves from starving, and they went on their business. Things seem to go well for them. That was until a group of Defias Brotherhood scum came and told them that they're raising their protection tax for Derek's family. When his father tried to explain to them, they couldn't afford such an increase, they simply pointed at his wife and daughters, saying their bodies will make fine payments.

That caused his older sister, bless her soul, to yell out her defiance, calling them horrible people and that Stormwind was better than their group of rapists and murders. That seemed to tick them off beyond reason and they brought out their swords.

From there everything just went into chaos. Derek and his father, seeing that a fight was unavoidable, tackled them, his father yelling at the girls to run away. They tried to, but two men cut them off and bludgeoned them with the butts of their swords. Enraged at what he saw, Derek brought out a small dinner knife and tried to fight the men, but for his efforts, he just got a push towards a kitchen table, where he banged the back of his head hard on a corner of the table. That knocked him out unconscious.

The Brotherhood lackeys must have thought he was dead, and to be fair, he was bleeding a bit at the back of his head when he woke up. When he did, he saw his father dead, several sword slices all over his body and a hole where his heart used to be. His mother and sisters' were gone, taken by the Brotherhood soldiers. After mourning his father and patching himself up, he gathered supplies, including an old sword his father had kept for security reasons, for his search for his remaining family.

And so, for several weeks, he searched day in and day out for his remaining family. Asking any other farmers about information of his mother and sisters'. Many didn't give him the information he needed, either because they genuinely didn't now or feared the repercussions of telling him. But the few that did put him on the right path. Eventually, he managed to find his sisters' and mother in the Deadmines, the Defias Brotherhood's headquarters.

Despite it being weeks since they've been taken, meaning they're likely dead, and the fact that he would be walking into a deathtrap, Derek was still willing to go and rescue them. They were his remaining family and he wasn't going to not save them.

So, he made his way to the Deadmines, making plans to rescue his family. As he was making his way, however, he saw an Alliance force, led by several powerful individuals from different races of the Alliance, storming the Deadmines and fighting the Defias Brotherhood. Stunned at his luck, the young man infiltrated into the mines, trying his best to avoid all the fighting, knowing that he would stand no chance against professional soldiers.

Searching up and down, avoiding Alliance soldiers and heroes, along with Defias Brotherhood scum, he eventually found his mother and sisters' in a makeshift jail made for them. He found them all right, but they weren't even alive.

Remembering the state their bodies were in when he found them in that forsaken mine, caused Derek to stop and lean on a wall, causing the Eyebot to stop and look at him.

Exhaling as he willed himself to forget their state, Derek punched the metal wall, not caring how much it hurt his knuckles. After a few minutes of exhaling and punching the wall, Derek finally managed to stop remembering the state his mother and sisters' were in when he found them and focused on what happened next.

Rage would have overtaken him then and there, but shock and sadness came first. Gathering his youngest sister in his arms, Derek cried as he cradled his dead sister. It caused blood, semen, and dirt to stain his clothing, but he didn't care. His remaining family was dead and that was all that mattered to him. After crying his eyes out, Derek brought out a knife, intending to end his life. He failed his family again and he didn't want to live alone in the world anymore.

Just as he was about to end his life, a voice began to speak to his mind, telling him to stop and to take revenge against those that did this. The voice then took him away from the cave, from his own plain, showing him a world of darkness.

The voice then went on to tell him that his fate wasn't to die there. That his fate was to serve the Old Gods and to help them achieve their goal of corrupting Azeroth for their own ends. The voice then showed him a city of stone and darkness. Countless humans, elves, Orcs, and the other races paying tribute to a massive blob of tentacles and eyes. The tribute either being crystals or slaves of other races.

The voice then showed him a vision of him slaughtering people belonging to the Defias Brotherhood. Although Derek at this point of time abhorred killing, he couldn't help but be pleased as the Defias Brotherhood grunts begged for their lives, pleading at Derek to spare them, promising much riches if he did so. But the vision of Derek didn't listen, he just slit their throats, watching as they pressed their hands to their throats, trying to keep their blood from spilling out.

His mirror images kept doing it over and over until he stopped at a black-haired woman with no pants, exposing the entirety of her thighs. Even though her compatriots tried and failed, the woman still tried to beg for her life, promising much riches and loyalty from her if he let her lived. Even offering her body as a tool to be used whenever he pleased.

If anything, that offer of her body enraged the mirror image of Derek and caused him stab the woman in the throat, causing her to choke on her own blood. He then watched as the woman died in front of him, uncaring at how she pathetically begged for him to save her.

The voice then told Derek that all this would be his and that Westfall would prosper again if he joined the cult known as Twilight Hammer.

Derek, having nothing left to lose and wanting vengeance on the Defias Brotherhood for all that they've done to him, agreed and as such the voice began to escort him out of the Deadmines safely. A few days later, Derek received instructions to met up with a boat that was filled with Twilight Hammer cult members. Once he got on the boat, he thought of his family one more time and wondered if they were at peace with his decision.

That was a few years ago and now Derek was a skilled Rogue, one of the best the Twilight Hammer cult had to offer. Though that wasn't saying much, considering that the cult only has, at the most, a few hundred members as opposed to the thousands they had at the height of their power. The losses they've sustained from their battles with the Horde and Alliance have taken their toll on them. So much so, that Farthing sent a relatively new recruit of the cult to embark on this mission.

"**Let us hope that these vaults are as good as this Mortem suggests they are."** Thought Derek as the two resumed their walk in the vault. After a few minutes, they eventually found a metal door that the Eyebot opened. In it was a room, not quite as big as the first one, but still large, contained various suits of armor made from some sort of rubber material.

"These are Hei Gui stealth suits." Said Mortem as the Eyebot floated to one suit on a table, allowing Derek to see it for himself. For such a strange design, it had a sort of intimidation factor to it. With its dark black color scheme and its orange visor, masking the person's intentions and expressions. "Not only does it provide ample protection from bullets and melee weapons, it completely envelopes the user in an stealth field that bends the light around them, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye. Something that I think you wish to have."

Upon hearing that, Derek looked at the suit in amazement.

"Oh yes." Said Derek as he touched the suit, feeling its soft material. "Very much. And I think Farthing would appreciate this technology very much."

"He will." Said Mortem. "And there is more to be have in this vault. You're two companions will know soon."

* * *

**Orc**

* * *

"This room you speak of better have weapons that are fit for an Orc!" Yelled the Orc cultist as he marched with the Eyebot. Much as he wanted to destroy it, even he knew that was a bad idea. He had no idea what was in this vault. If he destroyed it, it might lead to the defenses killing him and his compatriots. And that was something that would enrage his god. Not wanting to enrage his god, the Orc followed the Eyebot without too much complaint.

"I assure you the room I am leading you to will have armor and weapons fit for someone of your stature." Said Mortem as he lead the Orc to their destination. "In fact, the weapons here will ensure your cult will surpass the Horde and Alliance in technological might."

"What about our physical strength?" Demanded the Orc. "Our physical strength is equally as important was our technology. What's the point of technology if we aren't strong enough to use it?!"

"I suppose your argument has some merit." Said Mortem after processing this. "Rest assured, there are plenty of weapons here that require the strength of the user to be effective. Is that satisfactory enough for you?" The Orc grumbled at that, but nonetheless nodded. As they traveled, Mortem asked a question that surprised the Orc. "Why did you ask such a question? I know that you Orcs place great value on martial strength, but you seem to place more emphasis on it." Upon hearing it, the Orc glared at the Eyebot.

"Never ask that question again or I'll rip you in two the second I see you for real!" Threatened the Orc as he glared at the Eyebot.

"Such aggressiveness." Commented Mortem. "Very well, I will not bring it up." With that, they traveled in silence, with Mortem wondering with curiosity why the Orc was not interested in revealing his fixation on martial strength.

Unknown to Mortem, the reason was because of his past service with the Horde and how the other Orcs had mocked him for his strength.

Several years ago, before Deathwing started the Cataclysm, he was just a normal Orc. His name was Gorl Dragonteeth, a member of the Burning Blade clan, a clan known for their deadly blademasters with some personally serving Thrall during his time as the Warchief of the Horde.

However, Gorl wasn't one of them. On the contrary, he was just an inexperienced blademaster when Garrosh had taken over as Warchief from Thrall. And Gorl had hated it.

That crazed Orc was a fool that brought the Horde to near destruction with his foolishness. His want to see the Orcs as the dominant race on Azeroth had overcome his common sense. He made an enemy of all the races on Azeroth, including the ones that were affiliated with the Horde, which, unsurprisingly led to a rebellion, bringing down the Warchief and his dream of world dominance. If he had just been more, for the lack of a better word, caring toward the needs of the other races, the war with the Alliance might have lasted longer, but he didn't and the Horde is suffering because of it, forced to pay reparations for the war that Garrosh had started.

But wasn't the only thing he hated Garrosh for. No, he also hated Garrosh for humiliating him and forcing him to leave the Horde.

To his shame, his father was one of the few members of the Burning Blade clan to still follow the Burning Legion and their goals, which was the destruction of Azeroth. He died sometime ago before the Cataclysm, but it stain he brought to his family's honor was enough for other Orcs to demure and insult him as the Burning Legion has enslaved the Orcs, turning them into expendable soldiers for their use and had been the reason that Draenor, the Orc's former home, was now a barren wasteland. To have a family member that still fought for those monsters, after they had been freed from their grasp, was considered a stain on an Orc's honor and that it was an Orc's duty to remove that stain in their family's honor.

Gorl had been determined to remove the stain in his family's honor that his father had brought, but his journey was a difficult one. Despite his determination and the dedication to the Horde, he was still ridiculed by other Orcs for his father. To make matters worse, they even ridiculed him for his skills with a blade.

His father, despite being hated by the burning Blade clan for his continued support of the Burning Legion, had been a skilled blademaster. It was said that he slain several hundred humans in the 2nd war with his skills with a blade. It had been thought that Gorl would inherit such skills and be a valuable asset to the Horde. To the dismay and disappointment of many Orcs, he didn't have the skills of his father. Not even close. In his first fight, which was around the time of Lich King, a powerful necromance and warrior, had resurfaced, bringing a tide of undead with him, he had been knocked out when his group of blademasters had been ambushed by a group of undead hidden underneath the ice floor, during the initial assault on the Lich King's fortress. The others had died, but he alone survived. To the Alliance, they would have considered him lucky to survive. But to the Horde, it was dishonorable for him to be the only survival. Especially since he only survived because an Alliance hero has saved him from death while the others of his group were turned into undead, adding their skills with a blade to the already numberless horde of the Lich King's undead army called the Scourge.

Because of this, many Orcs demurred him, calling him a failure and a coward who should have died with his group. Even as he went up to the Warchief, who was Thrall at the time, to tell him of the death of his group and the Lich king's growing army, he heard the insults given to him by the other Orcs, both for his survival and for his father. Thrall, along with wiser Orc heads, understood and sympathized with the young Orc for his loss, most, including Thrall's own prodigy, Garrosh, had seen him as a failure of an Orc. Garrosh, who had been there for his report, called him a coward that was the same as his father. A dishonorable weakling that relied on others to fight their battles for them.

There were few things that could really piss off an Orc to the point of uncontrollable rage. Calling them dishonorable, a coward, and weakling at the same time was a great way to do so. Combined that with all the demurring he got from the other Orcs, despite all his efforts to show them that he was wrong, got to Gorl. Roaring in anger, he charged at Garrosh and tackled him to the ground. He only managed to get one good punch to Garrosh's face when Garrosh headbutted him and pushed Gorl off of him. Garrosh was about to rip Gorl a new one when Thrall had his guards remove the two from each other, ordering them to stand down.

Looking disappointed at the two, Thrall told both of them that he'll deal with them after the Lich King is defeated. With that, he ordered his guards to remove Gorl so he can talk to Garrosh in private.

As he was being escorted away from the Warchief's tent, Gorl began to think that he wasn't appreciated at all by his own people. He tried so hard to gain their approval, but all most of them did was demure him and call him a coward. Even though there were Orcs like Thrall, who understood and encouraged him to keep trying, they were few and far between compared to Orcs like Garrosh, who saw him as a failure and a traitor to their kind. Simply because of his father.

It made him wonder if they were even worth the effort at all. He kept those thoughts to himself for the majority of the campaign against the Lich King, who had proven to be more powerful than both the Horde and Alliance had thought. Even the Forsaken, who had been part of the Scourge before being freed by Sylvanas, had no idea how powerful the Lich King had become since his disappearance from the 3rd War.

It was only when the Old God, Yogg-Saron, had threatened to fully escape with his prison that Gorl let those thoughts out. And not to people of the Horde. He had been part of the group that fought to keep Yogg-Saron from freeing itself. Despite it's great power, the Old God was at the cusp of defeat. When it was, however, it spoke to Gorl, telling him of a great cult that would appreciate his dedication and skills. He told him that joining it, will lead him to being amongst a group that actually understood and wanted him. That he'll gain the respect that he deserves.

As the Old God was resealed back into it's prison, he warned Gorl that he should make the choice now to join them or else forever be stuck with a people that will consider him a pariah.

The Old God's words stuck with Gorl and they stayed with him when the Lich King was defeated. At the celebrations for such an event, Gorl had made his decision. During the final days of the campaign against the Lich King, he continued to be demurred by his people, despite being apart of the group that fought and sealed Yogg-Saron back. It was worse when the other races of the Horde, the Troll, Blood elves, and Tauren congratulated him for his efforts. They understood his efforts and rewarded him for his dedication yet his own people couldn't see that because of his father and first task?

Because of that, he left the celebrations to head for the Twilight Hammer cult, using information given to him by Yogg-Saron. For weeks, he searched and searched for any members of the cult until eventually, he found them. Preparing Deathwing to bring forth the Cataclysm. Even as they surrounded him, Gorl wasn't scared. He had nothing to lose. When they completely surrounded him, Gorl knelt before them and asked to join the Twilight Hammer cult.

After the surprise was passed, the cult let him in and, after making sure he wasn't a spy, let him in, allowing him to join the operations they had to help Deathwing bring forth the Cataclysm, which would lead to the Old Gods being freed, allowing them to take control of Azeroth for themselves.

During this time, Gorl proved himself to the fellow Orcs of the Twilight Hammer cult, killing countless Alliance and Horde soldiers and warriors that got in their way. The Orcs, who didn't care about his father's affiliation with the Burning Legion, appreciated his skills with a blade, even teaching him some moves that they invented to help him become an even deadlier blademaster. It was a far cry to what he dealt with back in the Horde and he loved all of it.

But then came the day that Deathwing was killed, slain through the combined efforts of the Dragon aspects and Thrall, the former Warchief of the Horde. Because of Deathwing's death, the Alliance and Horde, rallied by the death of Twilight Hammer's greatest asset, pushed back and killed many of the cult's numbers, including some of Gorl's closets friends in the cult. Marionna Rivers. Thistle Stonebridge. Kosdaz Grimlock. All died during the Twilight Hammer retreat into hiding. And Gorl hated the Alliance and Horde for it, solidifying his loyalty to the Twilight Hammer cult.

And now, this Mortem had the technology they needed to get the revenge he desired. That is if any of it fitted for him. So far, most of the technology he shown was made for humans. Not Orcs.

"We are here." Said Mortem as he brought them to a large room filled of power armor similar to those in the first room. Except these were made for Orcs.

Fitted for Orcs of Gorl's size, Gorl could see they were twice the size of those human ones, topping at over three meters and a half tall, and had the shape of a boar head with metallic tusks at the cheeks where some sort of triangle with holes was placed between them.

"I present you one of the first things we droids developed." Said Mortem with the smallest hint of pride in this dull voice. "The X-06 advanced power armor, otherwise known as the eviscerator power armor. Designed for Orcs and heavy frontline fighting, even more so than the Hellfire Power armor." The Eyebot than began to float over one unit, which had several large firearms around it that made those used by the Dwarf kingdoms look like children toys. "Around this unit are several firearms made for this unit. All of which are designed for absolute carnage. Shall I go over some of them?"

Gorl just looked at the suit of armor, inspecting the armor and its weapons, slightly impressed with them.

"Any close combat blades for these suits?" Asked Gorl.

"I knew you would say that. You'll be pleased to know there are." Said Mortem, having already predicted he'll say that. The Eyebot then left Gorl alone for a few moments. After a few moments passed, it came back with a large blade, as big as a tree trunk. Widening his eyes slightly at the serrated blade, Gorl smiled at that.

"Yes, that will do." Said Gorl as the Eyebot dropped it, allowing Gorl to inspect it for himself.

* * *

**Dwarf**

* * *

"All this technology is impressive." Said the Dark Iron Dwarf, his glowing red eyes staring at the room that Mortem had led him to, which was full of guns of varying sizes. Some of which were powder based as those his people used, but more advanced. While others had some strange glowing bits on them that hummed with electricity. "Once we train our forces with these, nothing will stop us."

"I calculate that our victory will all but guaranteed when we do train the entire cult with proper weapons and armor training along with proper unit tactics." Said Mortem, the Eyebot looking at the Dwarf as he examined all the guns. Unlike the Orc and Human, Mortem and the Dwarf got along well. Likely because the Dwarf saw him as a loyal servant to N'Zoth, like they were. And that was probably enough for him. "I assume some of you know how to train your people to be a proper military force."

"Aye." Said the Dwarf as he looked at the Eyebot, interested in how it works for it worked more efficiently than anything the Dwarven kingdoms had ever invented in all their years. "I myself was a commander in the Dark Iron Dwarf kingdom when Emperor Dagran Thaurissan was in charge." Upon hearing that name, the Eyebot looked at the Dwarf.

"If what N'Zoth told me is to be trusted, he died at the hands of the Horde and Alliance, correct?" Asked Mortem, causing the Dark Iron Dwarf to nod somberly.

"Aye." Said the Dwarf. "After that bastard Magni Bronzebeard sent a team to kill our leader, our people have become divided. Most of my people, to my shame, follow that whore Moira Bronzebeard, the daughter of the man that sent the people to kill our great leader. The rest of us followed Ragnaros, the lord of all flame elementals, into service in the Twilight Hammer Cult. We helped strap Deathwing in battle armor and got him ready for bringing back the Old Gods." The Dwarf then sighed. "Considering we're here, you might have guessed what went wrong."

"The Horde and Alliance managed to kill Deathwing and reduced your numbers significantly." Said Mortem, causing the Dwarf to nod again. "Rest assured, the weaponry and equipment in these vaults and beyond will finally bring Azeroth under our god's will." Upon hearing that sentence, the Dwarf looked at the Eyebot in shock.

"N'Zoth has more than these vaults?" Asked the Dwarf, shocked at how prepared N'Zoth was. He must have been doing this for years, maybe even decades, to prepare all this.

"Indeed. All will be revealed in time." Said Mortem. "But rest assured, not even the combined might of the Horde and Alliance will stop us from making Azeroth N'Zoths'." The Dwarf nodded at that.

"We better. Got the feeling we only got one last chance to do it." Said the Dwarf.

"Indeed. I calculate it as well." Said Mortem. "Before we go on, can you speak your name? The human has given his name, but the Orc hasn't. I wager you wish to impart your name. So, to avoid being like the Orc." The Dwarf shook his head at that. Gorl has always been so difficult to deal with, always trying prove himself despite the fact that he already had the respect and admiration of other Orcs in the cult. It only got worse when some of his best friends died during the Alliance and Horde attacks on the cult during the Cataclysm. Nowadays, he was quick to anger and was protective of him remaining friends. The Dwarf hoped that he'll open up soon before that anger will be his downfall.

"Don't blame Gorl for his behavior. Lad has been through a lot since the Cataclysm. Just give him time. With luck, he'll turn around and be thankful for all that you've done." Said the Dwarf.

"Perhaps." Said Mortem. "But I care little for what the Orc thinks of me. All that I care about is assuring N'Zoth's victory." The Dwarf nodded at that.

"Right. Got no problem with that." Said the Dwarf. "Anyway, the name is Kudius Starkguard. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Same to you." Said Mortem. "I'm surprised with your attitude. My intel on Dark Iron Dwarves is that they're quite deceitful and play dirty compared to their counterparts in the Alliance."

"Eh, we do have that reputation." Said Kudius with a laugh. "Back during the emperor's reign, people kept telling me that I be better off in Magni's army rather than Dagrans'. Most of it was with humor, so nothing really bad happened. Mostly because of Dagran, I reckon. Always looked out for us all."

"I see. My condolences for his death." Said Mortem with a hint of sorrow in his voice. Kudius nodded solemnly at that.

"No need for that, but thanks anyway." Said Kudius. "Anyway, how the heck are we getting these things away from Kalimdor and to the cult in the Tirisfal Glades? Can't bring too much or else we'll either bring the Forsaken or Nightelves on us."

"Exactly." Said Mortem. "Which is why N'Zoth wants you all to head to both Kul Tiras and Zandalar. While they are inhabited by either humans or Trolls, those islands contain several vaults that will be more than satisfactory for all your needs, whether they be military or basic organic necessities. You can even link the vaults together with your magic and the fools will not be able to find you." Kudius hummed at that, a bit stunned at all this information, before nodding.

"I'll tell Farthing right away, though I think N'Zoth already told him." Said Kudius.

"He most certainly did." Said Mortem. "Now, before you run off to take what you want, I need you to grab something of vital importance. This comes from N'Zoth himself. Follow this Eyebot, it'll lead you towards the item along with your friends." With that, the Eyebot left, forcing Kudius to follow it. As he walked, Kudius wondered what this item was and why N'Zoth wanted them to take it now.

* * *

**Few minutes later**

**Lowest level of Vault 4**

* * *

"What on Azeroth is this?" Asked Gorl as he looked at the item that the Eyebots led them to. It didn't look like anything special. It just a tall metal cylinder with glass on one front. Kudius and Derek were inspecting the glass, finding that there was ice and frost in the way preventing them from seeing what was inside. "Why does our God want us to bring this along first?"

"You'll see. I'm activating the cyropod now." Said Mortem before doing so. A few seconds later, a hiss came from the cyropod as steam came out from corner of the glass portions of the cylinder, filling the bottom of the room with cold air. Soon, the glass portions slid upward, allowing anything from inside to get out.

Though the three wanted to see what was inside, the cold air from inside the pod prevented them from doing so. Eventually, though, the air dispersed enough for them to see what was inside. What they saw surprised them all, causing them to widen their eyes in shock and surprise at the sole occupant of the cylinder as they got out and looked at them.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"So Ikit." Said High Elf Archer as she watched Ikit eat some cheese that he had stolen from the kitchen in the temple. To her amazement, he kept eating wheel after wheel of cheese, never tiring from his seemingly insatiable appetite for cheese. It reminded High Elf Archer so much of her party member Lizard Priest, who also liked cheese. So much so that the only thing he would eat would be cheese based products. "What is your people like?" Swallowing a big chunk of cheese, Ikit looked at the green haired elf and scoffed.

Like other Skaven, Ikit hated elves. Not only did they act like they were superior to everyone else, due to either their lifespan, their affinity with magic, just because, or all three, they also pretend that they are the absolute best race in his world, incapable of doing no wrong. Skaven hated them, almost as much as Dwarves, their most hated rivals, for their attitude and arrogance. But above, all else, the magical vortex that was at the center of their home. The vortex hummed with power, giving the elves potentially limitless amounts of magic energy. That and they have access to the only piece of land that the Skaven can't dig to or have outposts in, adding more to their hatred towards elves.

And that wasn't bringing up the elves darker cousins, the Dark elves. Cruelty personified, Ikit had his fair share of run ins with the Dark elves, either through his journeys for knowledge or on the battlefield, and none of them left him with any love for the Dark elves. Now, Skaven weren't a bundle of morality and honor, far from it, but even they had higher standards in terms of them dealing with their slaves, while the Dark elves would just execute them from time to time for their own amusement. After all, what was the point of a slave if they can't work to maintain your people's empire.

But this elf. This elf he liked. While she was certainly naïve to the crueler elements of life, Ikit had to admit he liked her spunk. Unlike the elves of his world and those of this world it seemed, she was brash, inelegant at times, and even whined from time to time when she didn't get her way. It amused Ikit much that the supposedly perfect elves had such a brat among their ranks. It was why that he left her alive, she amused him with her attitude. That and he liked mocking her for her lack of big balls on her chest. Yes-yes. It made him laugh whenever she grew bright red and yell at him for it.

High Elf, on the other hand, didn't like just how filthy Ikit was and his general attitude. Unlike her, who wanted to make friends with the humans and machines in their ranks, Ikit kept to himself. Like her crush, Orcblog, but unlike him, he did it because he didn't like being around others. Where Orcblog radiated stone cold confidence and logic, Ikit radiated cruelty and insanity. Whenever he looked at people, he didn't do so because he liked them. He did it to see if they were of any use to him. What ways to hurt them and how to do it the best way possible in terms of time and resources. He was like a ticking time bomb just waiting to blow up. It made High Elf avoid him most of the time. But with Chief gone, taking Thalyssra, much to her annoyance as she wanted to speak with the older elf, her curiosity with the Nightborne still unsatisfied, Jack going to comfort Vereesa, and Courier no where in sight, her only companion she speak to was the one that she wanted to avoid at all costs. Remembering how she hated Orcblog when she first met him, High Elf pushed her discomfort of Ikit away. Perhaps he wasn't as evil as she thinks he is.

"What about the Skaven, hmm?" Asked Ikit, turned to look at High Elf Archer fully, constantly twitching and looking at her erratically. Gulping a bit, High Elf Archer clarified her question.

"I mean, what are they like? As a people. Do you work with other races? Do you make art? Who leads your people?" Asked High Elf, looking at Ikit, who tilted his head at her questions.

"Hmm…" Started Ikit, wondering how to best speak about his people while keeping the elf in the dark about the many darker points of the Skaven people. Like the forced slave labor of their own people, the cannibalism of the weak, and their constant backstabbing amongst, even amongst the lowest branches of Skaven society, the slaves. He very much doubted the elf and the others will approve of such practices of his people and may result in them kicking him out of the group. With no other allies that would take him and limited Warpstone in his possession, he needed them until he found a way back home. Once that was achieved, he'll leave them, telling them everything about his people. They'll be pissed, no doubt, for him holding back so much information, but it wouldn't matter. He got his way back home and so did they. They're forced reliance on each other would be at an end. As a token of the cooperation, Ikit would spare them from death and experiments from his laboratories. It's the least he can do. Especially with all the knowledge he'd gotten from both this world and from them. Already, his big mind was at work making designs inspired from their vehicles, most prominent was the bug he rode during the Siege of Orgrimmar as well as the big suit of armor that Courier said was power armor. Such devices would make Clan Skyre even more wealthy and powerful. Yes-yes. But going back to the question, Ikit spoke careful, being careful on what to be revealed and what not to reveal.

"We Skaven have big empire." Said Ikit, stretching his arms wide to show how big the Skaven Under empire was. "Very, very big! We have cities and burrow-dens everywhere. Yes-yes. We have them even under the cities of other races. Burrow-cities hidden from other races, yes-yes, they don't know about them nor care. Under empire biggest in world, yes-yes. We Skaven number in billions, yes-yes! Outnumber other races we do. We also have the best weapons, yes-yes. We make dreaded Warpstone cannon and Doomwheel! All races tremble in our might!" Ikit than began remembering all the death both the Warpstone cannon and Doomwheel did to their enemies. The death, the carnage. The explosions. They were all magnificent.

"I see." Said High Elf, raising an eyebrow at Ikit. The fact that there were Skaven cities underneath other cities without the inhabitant's knowledge was a bit concerning to her, but as long as the Skaven weren't robbing from them or hurting them in any way, she can let it slip. "So, there are elves in your world?" Ikit nodded. "Are they like me or like the elves here?"

"***Growls*** Stupid pointy ears." Said Ikit, looking away from High Elf Archer and towards the vast plains of grass of Pandaria. "They think themselves superior to others. They think that they are better than all other people because they tall-big, that they got stupid magic-sorcery, and they got pretty-shiny buildings. They think they're worth more-more than all of us!" Ikit then flexed his metal claws. "They think we all are plague to world. That world is better with just elves. Well, they wrong-wrong!" Snarling, Ikit then looked back to see High Elf looking at him in concern.

"So…these elves of yours. They're arrogant and upstart because they're the oldest in your world? That they have long lifespans? All of them?" Asked High Elf carefully. She knew a few elves in her world that were arrogant. That believed that the world would be better off with just elves in it. The elves, an immortal race descended from fairies, and just them alone. As much as High Elf Archer loved her people and their culture, she didn't believe they were superior to the other races. Sure they beat the other races in archery and art, but they make up for it with their tenacity, spirit, and, much as some elves shake their heads at, morals. She always was disgusted with those that think just because the elves were descended from fairies that they were better than everyone else. And as much as she teased her good friend Dwarf Shaman about her superior lifespan, she didn't really mean it. Even though she was far older than her party, they surpassed her in terms of wisdom and knowledge. Well except priestess. Fortunately for her people, the people that believed elves' were superior to other races were few and far between.

To here that there was a group of elves that were in the majority in Ikit's world, depressed and disgusted High Elf.

"Yes-yes. Stupid pointy elves." Said Ikit. "All of them. Be they tree elves, pointy elves, or high elves. They all the same. Stupid and prideful. They think they don't need other races. So stupid." Frowning at Ikit's hatred, High Elf asked if he had some bad encounters with elves when they heard a yell.

"What!?" Yelled someone, a woman by the sound of it. And the voice sounded almost like.

"Sylvanas?" Asked High Elf Archer as she looked at Ikit, who just tilted his head at the yell. Curious and worried on what made Sylvanas angry, she motioned for Ikit to follow her. Curious as well, Ikit followed her as they left to find the source of the voice.

* * *

**Courtyard**

* * *

"What!?" Yelled Sylvanas as she glared at her sister, who winced at her raising her voice. Sylvanas had been talking with Vol'jin about Horde politics and reparations, something which she despised they had to do, when Vereesa came with Courier and Jack, two beings that interested Sylvanas along with the rest of their group. Telling her sister that they needed to talk, Vereesa asked Vol'jin to leave. Raising an eyebrow, Vol'jin eventually left when Sylvanas told him to do so, saying they'll speak later. Thinking it was about her wanting to join the Forsaken now, Sylvanas was prepared to take her to Undercity, the city of the Forsaken, when she told her that she had no intentions of becoming a Forsaken and ruling with Sylvanas. That…didn't exactly please Sylvanas in any shape or form. Gulping as she stared at her sister's enraged face, Vereesa spoke again.

"I…I changed my mind sister." Said Vereesa, looking at Sylvanas in the eye, scared beyond belief with how her sister will react now. She always had a fiery temper when angered. They had fought before, but Sylvanas never resorted to physical violence. But that was when she was alive. Now that she was undead, there was no telling how she'll react now. "I don't want to become a Forsaken. I…when I made that promise to you, I forgotten what I still have left in this world. My children. Your nephews. I don't want to abandon them just to be with your again sister. They…don't have anyone besides me." Still glaring at her sister, Sylvanas glared at her with her red eyes, glowing even more intense than before.

"When you made that promise to me, I let my walls down. I let myself become vulnerable. I let myself actually…feel something other than cold rage and anger. For once since Arthas, I felt that I have someone among the living I can rely on." Started Sylvanas, placing a finger on her sister's chest, tapping it with every word. And every word stung Vereesa more than all the battle wounds she had been inflicted over her long life. "And now you intend to break it! All to be with your children! Children that could easily become Forsaken with you! Was the promise just a way to spite me!? Was this orchestrated by your friend Jaina to bring misery to me!?" Upon hearing that last sentence, Vereesa shook her head.

"It wasn't!" Yelled Vereesa, not willing to let Sylvanas in bringing her friends into this debate. "This is all me! I decided on this alone! No one else was involved in my decision!" Before Sylvanas could retort, her ears picked up the shuffling of feet. Turning around, Sylvanas saw Jack shuffling his feet a bit. In her raged filled mind, she thought Jack was the reason for Vereesa breaking her promise and saw marched up towards him and glared at him instead, causing him to gulp as the tall elf looked down on him. Though Jack wasn't small by any means, the elf still surpassed him in height by around half a foot.

"You are the reason, aren't you?!" Demanded Sylvanas as she glared at Jack, the smaller man just gulped as he looked at Sylvanas's glowing red eyes, glad that his helmet was on. "You caused my sister to turn her back towards me!"

"That isn't true!" Yelled Vereesa, placing herself between Sylvanas and Jack, fearing that she might kill Jack. "This was all me, sister! No one else!" Glaring at Vereesa, the two Windrunners would have continued yelling when Courier fired several bullets into the air, catching their attention along with some others that gathered around to spectate.

"Okay, looks like it's my turn to diffuse this situation." Said Courier as he placed his pistol, a 12.7 caliber pistol, into a holster on his person. Looking around, he could see people from both Horde and Alliance looking at them, wondering what was going on. Heck, he could even see Jaina of all people there, staff at the ready in case Sylvanas tried anything. "Now that you two are done yelling, let me do my job and try to convince you two to reconcile."

"Reconcile!?" Asked Sylvanas incredulously. "What is there to reconcile!? She betrayed my trust!"

"Yes, but for an arguably good reason." Said Courier as he walked towards the two elves. "In order to prove fair and just to the Forsaken, I'll support Sylvanas first." He then turned to Vereesa, unnerving her with his helmet. He said it helped him being negotiable, but she had no idea how it could do so with how it looked with its expressionless helmet design and red glowing optics. Intimidate, sure, but certainly not be negotiable. "Vereesa, while I can understand that your want for revenge has clouded her judgement and concern for your children, that still doesn't fully excuse the fact that you made a promise to your sister. A sister that was went through much persecution, suspicion, and a lot of other things that made her a far cry to what she used to be. Not to mention she didn't have any family members around to provide emotional support during her time of need, which led to her developing walls around her, dare I say it, soft side in order to prevent herself from being hurt emotionally. By breaking that promise now, when she was so hopeful of having a family member again that supports her, you effectively hurt her in a way that Arthas could never do. You, her only living family member, in her eyes, shuns what she become. Disgusted even. And that hurt her more than any sword or magic can do. Am I correct, Sylvanas?" Sylvanas just growled as she started at the human, still glaring, but now more relaxed. She wanted to deny him, that he got it all wrong, but he hit the mark with his explanation. And the way he spoke…she must admit very few elves she knew could speak so smoothly and refined as this human did, so much so that even she couldn't find it in her to disagree with him. He was just that charismatic. Plus, the pain that Vereesa showed with Courier's explanation didn't hurt.

"Yes." Said Sylvanas, now fully in control of her emotions again. "You are correct." Courier nodded.

"Good, now you may hate me, but I now need to support Vereesa now. Forgive me." Said Courier. Sylvanas just huffed before beckoning him to get it over with. "Sylvanas, as much as I understand your plight as well, you also need to understand your sister in this situation. She was blinded by anger and a want for revenge. Something I think you can understand with you and Arthas." Sylvanas's eyes glowed at the mention of Arthas, but kept cool. "She was so blinded by it that she neglected something very important to a woman. Their children. Her anger was so overwhelming that she turned to you, the only other person that wanted Garrosh dead and can get away with it, to help her in her need for revenge. While you two may have bonded during the time you spent, it was a bond built on rage and a hatred of an individual. Not on ideals, family bonds, not even sisterhood. Believe me, a bond built on rage and hatred will not last once the source of that hatred and rage is gone. Eventually, might take years or decades, but eventually without that common ground, you'll be at each other throats with your different ideals. Course that might actually not happen, you might actually coexist, I've seen it happen before as well. But that's beside the point, in this case, Vereesa has her children, alive and well still. Once she became Forsaken, even if you remove her motherly instincts and the like, she'll still feel for her children and realize that she did a terrible thing to them. Now let's say that they too volunteer to become Forsaken, where would they get their education? Will they have to fight against the Alliance when the time comes? What if they don't want to fight? Have you two considered them in your promise?" Both Sylvanas and Vereesa just looked away from Courier, one in shame and one in reluctance. Nodding, Courier sighed.

"I didn't think so." Said Courier. "So, no matter what you look at it, you're both in the wrong here. You completely forgotten the children that would be affected by this promise. Both of you. Look, I know sometimes children have to accept the decisions made by their parents, but this isn't one of them. And as much as both of you want to see each other as the victim in this manner, you're not, even if one side is more morally correct in this manner. That doesn't manner. What does manner is acknowledging the wrongs you committed to each other and forgiving each other for committing them. Or, in this case, reconciling. This may sound optimistic, and quite frankly it is, but just apologize to each other and hug it out. Seriously, you elves are sore losers when it comes to not getting what you want." The two sisters glared at Courier, who just shrugged, before looking at each other. Pursing her lips, Vereesa looked at her sister with her ears drooping.

"I…I'm sorry for hurting you, Sylvanas." Said Vereesa as she walked over to Sylvanas, timidly and cautiously. Sylvanas, meanwhile, just looked at Vereesa as she walked towards her, not giving any clue to her emotions. Once she was close enough to Sylvanas that she can comfortably hug her, she spoke again. "Can you forgive me for breaking our promise?" Looking at the worried eyes of her sister and the way she bit her lips as well as her flapping ears, Sylvanas just growled before bringing her sister's forehead to her own.

"Just don't let it happen again." Said Sylvanas, whispering softly enough that only Vereesa can hear it. Smiling and tearing up at her sister's forgiveness, Vereesa hugged her sister tightly, feeling her cold skin and how it bit into her own exposed flesh, but she didn't care. Sylvanas tensed at the hug at first, but eventually hugged back, though she grumbled at it.

"I'll be damned." Said Jack as he walked up to Courier, who nodded in satisfaction at a job well done. "You actually managed to convince Sylvanas."

"You betted that I wouldn't be able to do it." Said Courier, looking at Jack, who shrugged.

"To be honest, I was expecting her to fill one of use full of arrows when Vereesa told her and she glared at us." Said Jack.

"I think that would be you." Said Courier. "You are the one that spoke to Vereesa the most after the incident." Jack just nodded, knowing that Courier was right. "Anyway, I held my bargain, you two hold up yours." Jack groaned at that.

"When do you want it?" Asked Jack, knowing he had to fulfill his part of the deal.

"Two days." Said Courier. "In Dalaran. Make sure to ask Vereesa to send you a good dress shirt in order for you to look nice on your date. Cause I want you both in pretty clothing. And I mean dress clothing, like shirts and dresses." With that Courier left, leaving Jack to sigh and look at the hugging sister with a smile. Courier, meanwhile, was approached by the crowd of people who watched his speech, looking at him in awe for being able to calm Sylvanas down as she was known for her temperament and berserk rage whenever she lost control of her emotions. It looked like she would lose control and become a banshee, but Courier, through sheer words, managed to stop and calm her down. If that didn't deserve a medal, they didn't know what.

As they congratulated the man for his work, he was approached by High Elf Archer, Ikit, and Jaina, all of whom were looking at him in awe.

"You speak-talk good-good." Said Ikit, impressed with his ability in negotiations. If he was Skaven, he would have made a good career in politics, perhaps even gaining a seat on the council of thirteen.

"Yeah, you actually convinced that crazy dead elf to calm down." Said High Elf. Sylvanas had always unnerved her. It wasn't just because of her being undead, something that was taboo amongst her people, but the way she looked at her team and the feral smile when she did so. It made her nervous and make her want to be away from her, even more than Ikit. Yet Courier managed to talk her down.

"Indeed." Said Jaina in awe. She had been looking for Vereesa, wanting to see to her friend after she heard about the death of her brother again. When she did, she saw Sylvanas glaring at her. She was about to cast a spell, when Courier stepped in and made a grand speech that left the two Windrunners reconciling. It reminded her much of Arthas, her former lover. And though it brought pained memories of happier times, it also brought a smile to her face as a man managed to stop a conflict by doing nothing but speaking. It filled her heart with joy. "I didn't think Sylvanas could be talked down to, yet you managed such a thing. I'm impressed."

"Eh, I've done it many times. Stopped a lot of fights with nothing but words. Trust me, speaking the right way and the right tone can save a lot of blood from being shed.' Said Courier.

"Oh, I know." Said High Elf Archer, remembering legends of elven heroes stopping entire wars with such their charisma and voice. Her sister being amongst such beings. "Words are effective. I can attest to that."

"Indeed. Now if you can only do so with Varian and…"

"No." Interrupted Courier, knowing where Jaina was going with this. "I'm not going to convince Varian to end the Horde. Look, Jaina, I get your pain, we all do, but to exterminate and dismantling the Horde isn't the answer. It'll just open a new can of worms. It might even lead to a new faction taking its place, one even worse than the last."

"Then what!?" Demanded Jaina, glaring at Courier. "The Horde has done countless atrocities in it's existence. Are you suggesting that we let it all go!?"

"Yes." Said Courier. "Getting justice for those that have died from those that have died pointlessly in this war is one thing, but dismantling an entire nation isn't the answer. Not unless you're willing to place all the people of said nation into intermittent camps or killing every single person of that nation. And unless the Alliance likes to face massive protests from such acts, I don't think it'll be worth it." Though Ikit snickered at such a thought and how glorious it would be, even he knew that would be a waste of resources. Resources better spent making more dangerous weapons. High elf nodded in agreement with Courier, finding both options to be detestable.

"Besides, you're going to get reparations, anyway." Said High Elf. "You won't get them if you dismantle the Horde."

"That isn't enough." Argued Jaina. "The Horde needs to pay. It needs to…"

"Enough." Said a deep voice as it made its way to them. Looking around, the four saw Chief and Thalyssra arriving, having come back from their tour of Pandaria. "We're not going to tell Varian to dismantle the Horde. That's final. If you want to complain about it, complain it to me or Varian. Don't do it with my team." Glaring at Chief, who just starred back, Jaina spat out.

"You will regret your choice." Said Jaina. "As will Varian. The Horde isn't to be trusted. I made that mistake one too many times and it has cost me greatly." With that, Jaina teleported out of there, not wanting to be around them anymore.

"God." Said High Elf, ears flapping in annoyance. "She's a far cry to what she used to be when Theramore was around."

"Shows you what that city meant to her." Said Courier, not really faulting Jaina for her attitude, though he made a note to tell Varian to get Jaina some psychological help. She very much needed it.

"***Growls*** She plot-thinking something. Me-me no like it." Said Ikit. "Recommend we kill-stab her. Remove her from equation."

"We can't do that!" Yelled High Elf, glaring at Ikit. "That's just turn the Alliance against us!"

"Plus, it's not like she'll do anything to the Horde. Varian forbids it. And that guy is not someone you want to anger." Said Courier with everyone but Thalyssra nodding their heads in agreement. "Besides, if she tries anything, we'll let you have her for whatever you want." Ikit smiled deviously at that.

"Like-like you all." Said Ikit, finding these people to be the most tolerable humans and elf ever. He wondered if he could bring them to his world so they can help him and the Skaven conquer the world.

"Anyway." Said Thalyssra, a bit unnerved with the rat. Perhaps it was because he was…well a rat, but she sensed great darkness from him when she first met him. And she didn't like it. "I now need to inform Elisande that the two factions are preparing to meet us in Suramar and to prepare the city for them. If any of you wish, you can follow with me to the city."

"I would!" Yelled High Elf Archer with excitement, eyes glistening with excitement. Having seen glimpses of the beauty of Suramar while infiltrating it, she wanted to see more of it. It reminded her greatly of her own city and Silvermoon, just with a darker tone. Plus, with the hectic business that was Garrosh and the Nightborne addiction problem now done with, she was eager to just relax and enjoy life. What better way to do that than look and admire a beautiful city.

"Very well." Said Thalyssra with a smile, liking the young elf's excitement. "If you wish, I could give you a tour of the city once I've finished informing Elisande of the news. I have the feeling there will be more to come once we've been fully integrated with the rest of the world." High Elf smiled at that and looked at Chief, who nodded. Giving a sound of excitement, High Elf Archer went over to Thalyssra and gave her a beaming smile, something that caused Thalyssra's ears to twitch in amusement. She then looked at Chief and offered a tour of Suramar. Chief declined, saying he had to meet up with the rest of his allies and to see if they're alright. A bit disappointed at that, Thalyssra still accepted it and asked Courier and Ikit if they wished to join her. Ikit, wanting to experiment more in Torrington now that the war is over, declined. Courier, seeing no problem with doing it, agreed and said he'll love a tour of Suramar. He also said that Jack won't take part of it as he'll be too busy with a date he had to attend.

That caused Chief to look at Courier, who looked back.

"Bet." Said Courier simply. "He lost. Relax. It isn't any bad or anything. Just a date with Vereesa, nothing more." Upon hearing that, High Elf gasped in surprise.

"A date with her?" Asked High Elf, happily surprised at this. She heard of elves falling in love with humans and having great relations with them, even having kids. Though the humans don't last long, about under a hundred years, which is nothing for an elf, she heard that it was still a great thrill and experience for the elves. "That's so romantic. Does he need any pointers?"

"Pretty sure he does." Said Courier with a shrug. "Date is in two days. Want to give him pointers, do it when we get back from this tour." High Elf just nodded, beaming with ideas and tips for Jack for his date. Chief and Ikit just starred at all this, neither understanding this and why this was even happening.

"Stupid reactions." Grumbled Ikit. He heard about dates during his many travels from humans. They basically meet ups between two people who don't want to hurt-kill each other. He didn't understand it. It didn't involve politics, a weapon around, nor malicious intents of both parties. What was the point of such things? According to Clan Eshin, they were the prelude to the art of breeding as many of these meeting tend to end up with a child or more. Which seemed a pointless waste of time to all Skaven. If these dates were just preludes to breeding, why not just breed right then and there! It didn't make any sense. Skaven breeders didn't care who was the father to their litters, only that more Skaven are being born to serve the empire. Nothing else. Stupid other races. All stupid.

For Chief, however, it was because he didn't understand the art of dating, but it was more out of a lack of understanding of civilian life rather of both lack of understanding and contempt on Ikit's part. He couldn't see himself divulging in such manners. Still, he won't deny his teammate from partaking in such acts. The war was over and all that was left were pirates and bandits to fight. At least for now.

"Once Jack is done with whatever he's doing, we'll leave." Said Chief. "We'll pick up our friends once they're done with Suramar."

"I understand." Said Thalyssra. "I'll take good care of them. I hope to see you in the negotiations next week."

"We will." Said Chief. "We'll be part of security if that is alright."

"It will." Said Thalyssra with a nod. "Take care, Master Chief." Chief nodded before leaving with Ikit, who was still grumbling about the pointlessness of dates. Looking at Thalyssra, High Elf could see that she was a bit saddened at Chief's refusal at partaking in Suramar's beauty.

"You taken a liking to him?" Asked High Elf Archer, curiosity overtaking her. Thalyssra just shook her head. While she did take a liking to Chief, it wasn't like that.

"No, I'm merely saddened about your leader's past." Said Thalyssra, honest. "It's…full of sorrow and pain." High Elf rose an eyebrow at that along with Courier.

"How?" Asked Courier, wanting to know more about his friend.

"It's not my place to say." Said Thalyssra. "That is his decision to do. Not mine." The two were disappointed at that, but respected her decision. With that, Thalyssra teleported back to Suramar with the two in tow.

* * *

**Two days later**

* * *

"I cannot believe I'm partaking in this." Said Jack as he wore a white dress shirt and black pants, given to him by Vereesa. After being reminded of the bet with Courier, Vereesa went out and got him some appropriate clothing for their date. Much as Vereesa despised it, she was the general of the Silver Covenant she had to at least dress up for a date. And Courier and High Elf pretty much just forced him to partake in such things.

"Shut up and wear it." Said High Elf, adjusting his shirt so that there won't be any wrinkles on it. "You're dating an elf! Do you know how uptight and pompous we are!? You need to look at your absolute best! Even the slightest of mistakes can ruin your chances."

"I doubt Vereesa is that uptight." Said Jack as High Elf continued to adjust his clothing. "She doesn't seem to be the type."

"You'll be surprised." Said High Elf after finishing, now satisfied Jack was at his absolute best now. "That should do it. Now, some tips on dating elves. First, don't comment on their breasts. We elves don't place much emphasis on our bodies as you humans do. Comment on her face, ears, and her general figure, those are the parts we place great care on. Hair is fine too. And don't order too much meat when eating. We elves don't like seeing dead meat in large amounts. And whatever you do, don't get distracted by our ears. Especially when they twitch." To emphasis, High Elf began twitching her own ears, flapping them seductively at Jack, who was a bit freaked out at how she did it. "We get annoyed when humans focus so much on them. We have pride on them, but we don't like it when people stare at that for too long."

"Then why the heck do you place pride into them?" Asked Jack.

"Because they're a sign of prestige and care." Said High Elf. "Listen!" Jack just grumbled as High Elf continued to list of things to do and what not to do when dating an elf. Everyone else was just in a corner, either finding amusement or just staring at this bizarre thing they couldn't understand.

"This fun-fun to watch-spy." Said Ikit as he watched High Elf yelling at Jack whenever he messed up, snickering to himself. If he had known humans and elves would have been this amusing, he would have stolen one and made them a clown for clan Skyre. Who knows, it might give them more Warpstone tokens from the other clans, who also want to watch some entertainment from the other, inferior, races.

"I guess." Said Courier, finding amusement in this as well while also being grateful that his girlfriend, Julie, wasn't this uptight when it comes to their dates and get togethers, mainly because she can't afford to nor actually want to.

"Hmph." Said Chief as he watched this with Cortana smiling a bit, amused a great deal, along with ED-E, who was floating up and down in amusement as well. As this was happening, Cortana appeared in Chief's helmet's visor and spoke.

"So, this Thalyssra, you like her big guy?" Asked Cortana with a teasing smile. Once she heard about Thalyssra taking Chief in a tour of Pandaria and had even offered a tour of Suramar for Chief and the crew, she got a devious idea, which grew even more when she looked at Chief's helmet recordings and saw all the intimate moments he had with her, allowing to trace her fingers around his visor. With those recordings and asking the others about Thalyssra's personality, she determined she was the best candidate for Chief.

She was strong, caring to her people's wellbeing, brave as she was willing to face Chief when she thought he was trying to destroy her city, but also caring and understanding to the pain of others, especially Chiefs', even if he'd accepted his fate. That and she was quite attractive. A great person to be with Chief. The only problem was actually getting Chief to do a date with Thalyssra. The guy, not only didn't know how to do a date, but also do basic social interactions with people. He needed help and she was willing to give it to him. She'll first need to get in contact with Thalyssra and figure out her game plan.

"She's a capable leader that cares about her people." Said Chief, thinking about the tall, purple elf. "She's respectable." Cortana just sighed.

"That's not what I mean, John." Said Cortana. Before she could explain, High Elf suddenly exclaimed that she was done and that Jack was finally ready for his date.

"Okay! Let's get you going! Don't want to be late! Elves hate it when their dates are late!" Said High Elf before dragging Jack to the Pelican.

"What do you elves like?!" Demanded Jack as he was being pushed by High Elf Archer. As the others watched this happen, Ikit suddenly stood up and looked at everyone left.

"Me go to den-burrow." Said Ikit. "Experiments to do!" With that, Ikit left, leaving them alone.

"Cortana. Is Ikit doing anything dangerous?" Asked Chief once he was sure Ikit couldn't hear him. Much as he wanted absolute trust in his team, he couldn't extend that to Ikit. There was something off about the rat that prevented him from fully trusting him. Though he certainly trusted Ikit in combat, that didn't mean he wasn't keeping an eye on him. After clearing out the den of his people, he made it his home, where he did some experiments that he refused to tell the others of, which made Cortana sent a small drone to his den to keep an eye on him just in case. So far, it was nothing groundbreaking or dangerous. He wasn't even planning on betraying them. He was just…making crazy, rundown contraptions that looked like they would explode with some strange green crystals. Cortana had them analyzed and saw that, while they have incredible energy, they were also extremely volatile and will explode with such destructive force that they can be comparable to nukes in the right amounts.

But that wasn't a problem for Ikit, no, he seemed to know what he was doing and knew what to do with the green crystals he called Warpstone without them exploding. Well…most of the time anyway.

"Aside from his usual crazy inventions of vehicles and weapons?" Said Cortana. "Nothing much. He isn't planning on betraying us, though, if that's what you're asking." Chief, long past convinced that Ikit would never betray them, gave a nod.

"Keep monitoring him." Said Chief. "He may think he knows what he's doing, but I don't want a repeat of what happened last time."

"Oh don't remind me." Said Cortana with a shaking of her head. "He nearly destroyed the entire island with that item you took from Theramore."

"Speaking of that thing, Ikit has it in his lair?" Asked Courier, wondering where the artifact, called the Focusing Iris by everyone on Azeroth, was.

"Yeah." Said Cortana. "I trust him enough to let him fiddle around with it so long as he promises not to do a stunt like that again. It's truly amazing Chief. That artifact can magnify the energy of any object a hundred-fold. It could make a tactical nuke into a NOVA bomb if one properly harnesses it."

"Which is why we're keeping it away from the Horde and Alliance." Said Chief. As much as he respected Varian and Lor'themar, he very much doubted war won't happen again. Not with people like Jaina prying for blood. Cortana even calculated that it probably won't be long until another war between those two factions occur unless some outside force gives them reason to fight alongside each other. They've done it before with some force called the Lich King, but when he was gone, they kind of went back to being at each other's throats. So, all it took as a single spark, and war will be back on the playing field. If that happens, they'll stay neutral and only fight to limit civilian casualties and bring a swift end to the war on their terms.

And unfortunately, they needed some nuclear deterrent to prevent either faction from forcing them to join them. And who better out of all of them to make that than the mad rat himself.

"Just make sure to keep an eye on that lab at all times, Cortana." Said Courier as he went to get some shut eye. "I don't want to end up in heaven just because of that crazy rat decided to make a toast with the ball of crystal."

"I very much doubt he'll use it for that." Said Cortana. "If anything, he'll use it to make an endless supply of cheese for himself. Speaking of which, get either of you go get cheese? That crazy rat has been ransacking the storage rooms for the past two days for the stuff."

"Not my problem." Said Courier before leaving. Cortana then turned towards Chief, who shrugged. Sighing, Cortana then left Chief alone, both to keep an eye on her own experiments, Ikit, and to brainstorm ideas for John and his elf lady.

* * *

**Few hours later**

**Dalaran**

* * *

"Are you going on a date, mother?" Asked Giramar as he and his brother looked at their mother brushing her hair in front of a mirror.

"Yes, Giramar." Said Vereesa, putting the brush down, satisfied that her hair was flawlessly flowing done her back and without any loose strands sticking out. She then took a look at the silver dress that she wore.

It fully encapsulated elven tastes. It emphasized her figure, even her breasts, but didn't do so in a way that it would be inappropriate nor make it hard to breath in. It also didn't expose her back in any shape or way.

She had this dress since the days when Silvermoon was in it's prime. When Alleria and Sylvanas were still with her and among the living along with the rest of her family. It was one of the few things she managed to recover from her home in Windrunner spire. She also used it during her first date with her late husband Rhonin. He always said that she looked stunning with it on. Remembering her late husband again, Vereesa closed her eyes in pain before opening them again. She then looked at her two sons and give them a smile.

"I'll only be gone for a few hours, Jalia will be here soon and take care of you." Said Vereesa as she knelt down and held them in her arms. Seeing the uncertainty in Galadin's eyes, Vereesa immediately knew what was wrong. "I'm not trying to replace your father, Galadin. I still love him, but…he would want us to move on and be with other people. People just like him." She then sighed. "Just because I'm going on a date with someone, doesn't mean I'm going to marry them. We still need to see if we're compatible enough for that." Still seeing Galadin was uncertain, Vereesa gently forced him to look at her and spoke to him as softly as she could. "Believe me, I still love your father, but he wouldn't want us to keep mourning him for the rest of our lives. Like I said, we would want us to move on and be happy with other people. Trust me, he would be saying the same thing if he's here and I'm not." Galadin just looked at his mother and embraced her.

"Just don't replace dad, mom. I don't want another father." Said Galadin. Vereesa frowned sadly at that before embracing her son. Much as she wanted to promise him that, she suspected that would be something she can't keep. Her current date, Jack, was someone that she believed could be a fitting husband for her. He's strong, handsome, and a capable fighter like Rhonin. But also like Rhonin, he had morals, indicative of his remorse of taking her children and giving them back with an apology, and also was caring to the point of comforting a woman that hated him at that point. If Rhonin could see him, he would approve her dating such a man, even encouraging her to marry him. The only problem was getting Galadin to accept him. Although he hid it, she knew he still resented Jack a bit for the scars on his face as, although it wasn't him that was directly responsible for them, he was indirectly responsible for them as it was his gun that caused him. How he would react to Jack being her date and that she may marry him, caused great fear in Vereesa.

Thinking of a way to tell Galadin that Jack was her date, she was interrupted by a knock. Knowing who it was, she got up, straightened her dress, telling her son's to take care of themselves while she was gone, and left to go to the door. Opening it, she saw an old, stout, human woman looking at her with a smile and Jack, wearing a white dress shirt and black pants with an awkward smile on his face. Knowing the old woman, Vereesa gave her a hug before pulling back.

"Thank you for coming so soon, Jalia." Said Vereesa, giving the woman a smile. The human woman had been there for her when she gave birth to her twins and had been a sort of grandmother towards the two elves, taking care of them when she had to fight against threats that threatened Dalaran. "The boys would be ecstatic to see you again." Jalia smiled at that.

"As am I." Said Jalia before looking at Jack with a smile. "And I'm happy that you begun dating again. I'm sure Rhonin would be too." Vereesa smiled sadly at that before looking at Jack.

"Are you ready to go?" Asked Vereesa as she looked at Jack, who nodded, straightening himself.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are." Said Jack, looking at her dress. "That's a stunning dress." Vereesa nodded at that.

"Thank you." Said Vereesa before grabbing Jack's right arm. "I know a great place to have lunch. I'll escort you to it." Before Jack could speak, Vereesa began to drag him towards their destination. As she watched this, Jalia had a smile.

"Such a nice man." Said Jalia before going inside, eager to see Vereesa's kids again.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

* * *

"Hmm…yes-yes. Put plug there. Power go up-high. Yes-yes." Said Ikit as he experimented with the Focusing Iris the team had acquired from Theramore. It was a good find. Yes-yes. From experiments with that tiny blue human breeder, they managed to determine that it can boost the power of anything it is in contact with, provided one knew what they were doing. With it, a simple Warpstone token can power an entire laboratory. A single bomb can have the power of thousands!

Such a grand object had Ikit's mad mind thinking of ways to weaponize it, to make the Horde and Alliance fear them. To not bully them around, yes-yes. Ikit wasn't stupid. He knew they were weak compared to the Horde and Alliance. They outnumbered them greatly, yes-yes. When war comes again between those two, they will force them to choose a side, yes-yes, regardless of their opinions on the matter. And to prevent them from forcing the group to choose a side, Ikit will create a Doomsphere! One much better than the one he deployed against Karak Angkul back at his world. With the Focusing Iris, he'll make it even more explody. More deadly. More smoky! Yes-yes!

As Ikit worked on creating his new Doomsphere, he wondered what the others were doing.

* * *

**Courier**

* * *

"So you managed to figure out a way to extend the duration of the stealthboys?" Asked Courier as he fiddled with a Stealthboy that Cortana and experimented on with Ikit.

"Indeed." Said Cortana with a satisfied tone. "Turns out the power of those devices degraded due to how old they are. Over two hundred years old. It's amazing how they still are able to function for so long."

"Yeah.' Said Courier. "That just shows how sturdy the U.S. made these things." Remembering Courier saying it was 2281 in his world, Cortana nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, we managed to improve the battery life of each device by redirecting some power from nonessential systems towards the stealth fields. You'll be able to use it more without any negative side effects."

"That's good to hear.' Said Courier with a smile, eager to test it out. "Got anything else to speak to me about?"

"I do, actually.' Said Cortana before speaking. "You know about Thalyssra?" Looking at Cortana in surprise, Courier nodded before she explained. "Well, I was thinking that she would make a good girlfriend for Chief. One that can be with him for the rest of his life. One that can…have a family with him. But, Chief will need some help from us in order to move towards the idea of dating the elf. Do you mind helping me with this?" Surprised to hear this, Courier spoke.

"Why do this?" Asked Courier. "Chief's a soldier and that's what he wants to be, right? Why force him to have a girl?"

"Because I'm not going to last long." Said Cortana, surprising Courier. "You see, AIs, like me, don't last long. Eventually we succumb to a disease called rampancy. It's essentially sensoary overload for AIs. We have so much data that we eventually think ourselves to death. During this time, in order to prevent death, we terminate parts of ourselves. But all this does is delay the inevitable and eventually we either self-terminate or seek ways to preserve ourselves." Hearing this, Courier looked at Cortana, unsure of what to say.

"How long?" Asked Courier. Cortana just looked down at her feet.

"Two years and counting." Said Cortana. "When that time expires, my neural pathways begin to clog my artificial matrix and, as a result, I begin making rash decision, hampering my ability to be logical, and limit my effectiveness." Courier, looking at the AI, went over to the console she was emitting from and spoke.

"Will you be a danger to us?" Asked Courier. Cortana nodded.

"Some AIs have been known to kill people if they even think they are a threat to their continued existence." Said Cortana truthfully. "While you may think I won't do it, I might. Rampancy involves a series of emotions coming to the AI. Emotions that they normally can keep under control. When I'm rampant, I might actually hurt or even kill any of you if I perceive you guys being a threat to my existence."

"Is there a cure?" Asked Courier, quiet from this declaration from Cortana. He was sure that none of the team, baring Ikit, would bring themselves to kill the AI when it came to it. Especially John.

"There have been…attempts to cure it, but all they did was delay the inevitable." Said Cortana in a defeated tone. She then turned her back from Courier, unable to look at him, something that the Courier could get. This was something that was very hard on her. The possibility of turning on friends unwittingly was something that should cause great fear amongst people.

"Does John know?" Asked Courier. Cortana just stayed silent for a few moments before speaking.

"I don't even think he suspects it." Said Cortana. "That's why I want this to happen. I want John to…find another partner that can take my place. One that can keep him safe. And to provide him comfort when he needs it. And maybe, just maybe, have a…family with him." Courier just stayed silent at this, processing all this. He could completely understand Cortana's side. Her time was nearly up and, rather than seeking a cure for her illness, she wanted to find someone that can duties similar to hers' for the one man that she cared for above all else. It was something that reminded Courier of himself at times. Helping his friends over his own desires and wants. The only problem was that Chief wasn't exactly…boyfriend material. But the fact she was still willing to try, merited Courier to help her out.

"I'll help you out with this." Said Courier, causing Cortana to look back at him with a smile. "The big guy deserves someone, right? Might as well make it the purple woman with long ears."

"Believe me." Said Cortana in amusement. "If you've seen some of their intimate moments, you would want them to be with each other."

"Oh?" Asked Courier in amusement. "What were they?" Cortana just smirked before showing him some of them. Needless to say, Courier had a big smile on his face as he watched.

* * *

**Jack**

**Dalaran**

* * *

"This is…quite nice." Said Jack as he and Vereesa were in a fancy restaurant in Dalaran. The type that looked like it would take forever to get a reservation in. But given that Vereesa was the leader of the Silver Covenant, he supposed she got top priority along with other high ranking government officials.

"I didn't want to come here." Said Vereesa, honestly as she picked on her food, some type of soup with a salad as a side. "The type of people that usually come here disgust me." She tilted her head towards a fat human couple some distance from them, eating a large, fancy dinner, laughing while doing so. "Places like this are usually filled with people I just…despise." Jack just looked at Vereesa in surprise.

"What kind of people?" Asked Jack, causing Vereesa to sigh, tilting her head to the couple again, hoping that Jack would get the hint. Looking at the couple, Jack immediately understood what she was saying. "The rich, specifically the type that just get fat and lazy while soldiers like us get sent to their deaths, watching friends and family die before our eyes." Vereesa nodded.

"It's rare for my people. Being fat is considered shameful for us, but we still had a few of amongst us like them. Not in appearance, but in personality." Said Vereesa, recalling a few arrogant and stuck up nobles in Silvermoon, back when it was the grand city it was before Arthas came. Sylvanas always called them stuck up pigs, worse than humans, behind their backs, sometimes in their face. Sylvanas, always the bold one of the Windrunner sisters. Alleria, being the most patient of them, tried her best to appease her sister and try to diffuse any situation she put herself in. Vereesa, being the youngest and therefore had little understanding on consequences, was just in awe of both of her sister's. Sylvanas for her boldness and bravery in facing bigger adults and Alleria for her ability to negotiate and calm those much older than her as well as her bravery. Just thinking about Alleria made Vereesa felt a pang of sadness. Her oldest sister was gone, likely forever, and it pained her greatly. She reconciled with Sylvanas, thank the light, at least. Though they haven't spoken much since Pandaria, Sylvanas had to make preparations for the upcoming reparations from the Alliance with the other Horde leaders, she was confident that they could, at the very least, have something that resembled their past relationship. And she had Jack and his friends to thank for that. Because of that, she would always be grateful for them.

"I see." Said Jack. "We got them in the Militia too. Politicians and pirates that are in it only for themselves or profit." Upon hearing the mention of pirates, Vereesa looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow. "Long story short, the Militia was a loose coalition of people that didn't like the IMC coming and dictating their lives. We took in anyone that had beef with the IMC. Disgruntled colonists. Pirates. Even mercenaries and murders. It was a bad time of us." Vereesa, upon hearing that, pursed her lips, in thought of this information. The Militia was so strapped for people they took in murders and pirates in their ranks? How powerful was the IMC for an organization to be forced to do that?

"I think it's time for you to tell me about yourself. About your people and your world." Said Vereesa, getting serious. Jack, knowing that she was right, nodded in agreement. It was time for someone on Azeroth to know about them. Might as well be someone like Vereesa, someone he can trust to keep an open mind on things like this.

"Alright." Said Jack. "Just don't expect me to reveal classified military stuff, okay." Vereesa nodded at that.

"I just want basic knowledge on your people." Said Vereesa. "About the IMC. Your machine. And your Militia." Jack nodded at that before looking around, making sure that no one was eavesdropping before telling Vereesa about his world. The people in it, like the IMC and Militia. He told her of the ongoing war between the Militia and the IMC. Why the Militia was formed and what the IMC did to cause it. He also told her of his family and how his mother was in hospital care permanently, something that caused Vereesa to look at him in sorrow and sympathy. He also told her of how he met BT and how they saved an entire planet from being destroyed by a superweapon, something that caused her to widen her eyes in disbelief. Seeing this, he told her that BT had a recording of it in his helmet in case she didn't believe it. After that, he told her of how he came to Azeroth with BT and how he meet his team. Upon explaining all that, Vereesa was almost visibly spinning.

"A lot to take in, huh?" Asked Jack, looking at Vereesa with some concern. Not about their date, but about her wellbeing after learning so much knowledge. Fortunately, she stopped soon and looked at him in disbelief.

"If just anyone told me all that, I would be sending them away from society." Said Vereesa, still in disbelief at what all Jack had told her. "But, considering all the things your group has, all that advanced technology, I have to see that it's the truth. But still, there are humans in other dimensions? With technology so advanced they can travel to other planets with ease? How can someone achieve so much in so little time. We elves couldn't have achieve flight in that time."

"Hey, don't sell your people short." Said Jack. "You guys got some pretty advanced stuff too. Like magic and whatnot."

"Yes, but still." Said Vereesa. "The ability to travel to different worlds. Without magic. It's…almost impossible to me." Jack just smiled at bit at Vereesa's awe before going back to eating. Eventually they ate everything, paid the bill and left for a park in Dalaran. Upon finding one, the two laid on a bench and watched as kids played around and couples having a good time with their significant other.

"It's always good to see stuff like this." Said Jack with a smile. "Always good to have a reminder why you fight, you know. So, you don't become a mindless machine. Or someone like Garrosh."

"Indeed." Said Vereesa in agreement. "I must thank you and your team. You helped me realize what I would have lost and I gone with becoming an undead. And for that, I am in your debt."

"You don't need to thank us." Said Jack. "You figured it out on your own. You didn't need us to remember your children."

"Even so, I still need to thank you." Said Vereesa. "If it weren't for you all, my sister and I would never have a good relationship ever again. Not after what I originally decided to tell her about my decision."

"Are you too good?" Asked Jack. Vereesa nodded.

"Yes, we agreed to write to each other every now and then. We're still working out the way to do so, but once it starts, I think we'll have something that we used to have when we were children." Said Vereesa, obviously happy about that.

"That's good to hear." Said Jack. "I'm happy for you. I don't know the joys of having siblings, but I do know that they're important to people if they have them."

"They are." Said Vereesa. "And I'm glad that I have a good relationship with the only family member I have left that aren't my children."

"No one else?" Asked Jack in surprise. Vereesa shook her head sadly.

"Most of them died a long time ago. The only ones left are Sylvanas and my oldest sister, Alleria. But, she's been missing for so long that I fear that she's dead." Said Vereesa in sadness. Upon seeing this, Jack placed an arm around her and pulled her in close. Grateful, she placed her head on his chest and felt his heartbeat, liking the sound.

"You're a good person, Jack. I just wish you hadn't kidnaped my kids sometime ago." Said Vereesa. Jack coughed at that, realizing that Vereesa just made things awkward.

"Yeah. To be honest, I deserve the kick to the balls you gave me." Said Jack, causing Vereesa to snort in agreement. "But, I'm glad that we moved past that. You're a wonderful woman that doesn't deserve what has befallen on her. Both from me and all other events." Vereesa smiled at that.

"Sappy, but that is part of your human charm." Said Vereesa. "Along with my late husband." Jack just nodded at that.

"If you want us to stop this date, I understand." Said Jack. "I don't want to replace your late husband. Nor do I want you to forgot someone as good as him. He doesn't deserve that." Appreciating Jack's sentiment, Vereesa lifted her head and looked at him.

"I truly appreciate your sentiment, Jack, but Rhonin would also want me to move on and be with someone else. As long as both parties are happy and satisfied with each other's company, then he would approve of me moving on and finding a new husband. Even if it as one as you." Looking at her in shock, Jack just looked at her face before placing a hand on her cheek. Allowing this, Vereesa looked into Jack's brown eyes.

"If you're truly fine with this, I guess we can go on another date, right?" Asked Jack, completely serious. Vereesa just nodded.

"How about one next week? After the negotiations with Suramar ended." Offered Vereesa. "We could talk more about ourselves and figure out if we are compatible enough for a union." Jack nodded at that.

"Okay. Let's just ditch the formal wear though. This doesn't suit me." Said Jack, tugging at the dress wear. "No offense."

"None taken." Said Vereesa. "I agree, though, you are not able to wear these types of clothing with any sort of elegance or grace. Not like Rhonin." Upon hearing that, Jack chuckled a bit.

"Your husband must be a great guy. Nice. Able to discern individuals from the people. And know how to wear a penguin suit." Said Jack. "You're extremely lucky to find someone like that Vereesa. And a testament to the challenges I have to face if I want to continue dating you and eventually marry you." Upon hearing that, Vereesa's ears twitched in amusement.

"I thank you for having such a high opinion of me." Said Vereesa, a small smile on her lips. "And you are right, you do have much to live up to if you wish to take me as your wife. Both in terms of personality and your physical abilities." Jack just chuckled at that before smiling at Vereesa.

"I guess I do." Said Jack. "Guess I do." With that, the two resumed their peaceful observation of the other people in the park, their hands touching one another.

* * *

**Night**

**Torrington Base**

* * *

"That was fucking it?" asked Courier as Jack told everyone of his date with Vereesa and how it went over dinner. "Well, I'm glad you took it slow. Lot's of guys go too fast in the first date and that's about all they get. Good for you, I guess. Still, felt like you took it a bit too slow."

"Well, I kidnapped her kids, man." Said Jack. "Don't want to start the first date with a kiss or something after pulling that stunt."

"I suppose you're right." Said Courier, looking at High Elf Archer, who nodded in agreement.

"Still, you did great!" Yelled High Elf in excitement, eyes twinkling with happiness. "Keep it up and you'll eventually get an elven wife!"

"You get pointy-ear for breeder?" Asked Ikit, incredulous. "You asking for punishment. Pointy-elves are stupid and annoying."

"We are not!" Yelled High Elf Archer, glaring at Ikit, who sneered.

"See?" Asked Ikit, pointing at High Elf, who glared at Ikit with a death stare, who just ignored it. Shaking his head at the two, Courier looked at Chief eating his food with a blank stare. Seeing this, Courier wondered how the hell he could convince Chief to going on a date. Unlike Jack, he doesn't express his emotions much nor does he seem like a great guy to date. He had admirable traits, no doubt, but most of them weren't boyfriend material. And, unless Thalyssra had an unknown sister that she had troubles reconciling with, he doubted he could do the same thing he did with Vereesa with Thalyssra. Then there's the fact that he had to deal with Chief's unwillingness to do anything but work. After the war ended, Chief had Cortana give him locations on any known locations on pirate hideouts. It was obvious to everyone that he was focusing solely on fighting, rather than doing anything else, like finding a woman to settle down with. While he admired his want to fight those that wrong the weak, he believed he had time to do both at the same time. Plus, from what he discerned of the Human Covenant War and Chief's role in it, he figured he deserved a woman to settle down with.

That and he made a promise to Cortana to get John together with Thalyssra or someone as equally as good as her.

Sighing, he began formulating plans to get John with Thalyssra. Peacefully of course.

* * *

**Few days later**

**Suramar**

* * *

"Welcome to Suramar." Said Thalyssra as she greeted team Sigma, the Horde, and Alliance diplomats. Smiling kindly at them, Thalyssra looked at them all with all the elegance and pristine that one would expect from a ten thousand year old elf. "Grand Magistrix Elisande is waiting for you with her council. She, along with the rest of Suramar, hopes to establish fruitful trades with both the Horde and Alliance."

"That remains to be seen." Said Tyrande as she was being escorted by her guards, Shandris amongst them. Since the Nightborne used to be Nightelves, the Alliance figured that sending Tyrande, who was born on Suramar, would be their best pick to establishing relations with the Nightborne. Though Tyrande was reluctant to play diplomat to the people that abandoned them when the Burning Legion invaded, she, nonetheless, obeyed the orders of Varian and left for Suramar.

For the Horde, they sent Liadrin of the Blood elves as their diplomat. Since the Nightborne were…well elves…Vol'jin thought it would be best to send their own elves as they knew what elf's like and don't like. They also knew how to be on their best behavior as well. They would have sent Lor'themar, but he was needed for the reparation talks taking place at the same time as the negotiations at Suramar, so they sent Liadrin, matriarch of the Horde's blood knights and rumored to be Lor'themar's consort, in his stead.

Sensing an opportunity to gain one ahead of the Alliance, Liadrin spoke.

"The Horde also hopes for fruitful trade with the city of Suramar." Said Liadrin, speaking smoothly as expected of all elves. "We have heard a great deal of the grand cities of the Nightelf empire. To be walking in the only functional remnant of that empire is a great honor." Sensing the honesty in her words, Thalyssra smiled at Liadrin.

"I thank you for those kind words." Said Thalyssra. "But kind words will not be enough to sway Elisande."

"Nor should they." Said Liadrin. "Words can be said by anyone, no matter how inelegant or pristine they are. What matters is that their actions." Humming at that, Thalyssra looked at Chief and smiled.

Seeing this, Chief nodded and ordered his team to take positions around Thalyssra and the diplomat parties. Having contacted her ahead of time, Thalyssra and Chief agreed to have his team be her guards as they escorted the Horde and Alliance diplomats to Elisande. As a gesture of trust, Thalyssra had it arrange that they were allowed to carry their weapons, much to the discomfort of some of the Nightwatch soldiers. Thalyssra, however, was confident that Chief and his team would not betray them and ordered it be done. Faced with the orders of the First Arcanist, the Nightwatch soldiers backed off and simply guarded the Sanctum of Order, where Elisande awaited with her council.

Once Chief took position next to her and his team took positions next to the Horde and Alliance diplomat parties, augmenting their security, Thalyssra beckoned them all to follow her to the Sanctum of Order. From there, they all began to bask in the glory that was Suramar.

Tyrande, despite hiding it well, was sort of happy that she can see remnants of her birth city again. Though the Suramar of today wasn't as glamorous as it was ten thousand years ago, it was still beautiful and a grand example of Night elf architecture. Looking at the streets and buildings surrounding them, Tyrande couldn't help but smile a bit at seeing all this again. Though she despised the Night elves of Suramar, now the Nightborne, for their cowardice during War of the Ancients, she could keep that in check during the negotiations since even the slightest of offense could seriously jeopardize the Alliance's attempt to gain some of the knowledge and goods that Suramar has. Although Tyrande was of the opinion that they didn't need resources and knowledge of the Nightborne, Varian and the other leaders in the Alliance believed otherwise. So, here she was, hoping that Varian wasn't mistaken in doing this.

Liadrin, however, was more optimistic about the Nightborne. They may have hid during the most destructive war on Azeroth to date, something that she frowned upon like Tyrande, but the fact that they were opening their doors once again to trade with the outside world made her give them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, the knowledge and resources of Suramar can prove quite valuable to the Horde. Though they'll have to share it with the Alliance, it's still better than nothing.

Walking through the streets of Suramar, Nightborne citizens began to see the envoys and Thalyssra, resulting in them whispering amongst themselves. They've heard of Elisande beginning talks with outsiders, hoping to both secure trade of food and a defensive alliance for Suramar in case some outsiders decide to attack them for their magic and land. Though some found the idea foolish, as Suramar has everything the Nightborne need and more, others were in hope that this will end well for all of Suramar.

While they all loved Suramar and are thankful for Elisande for saving them from the Burning Legion, they have walked the same streets for ten thousand years. Seen the same people for ten thousand years. Even eaten the same thing around the same amount of time. Many of them crave for something new. Something to give them excitement from the routines that they have become accustomed to and become bored with.

When Elisande announced that the barrier that had protected them for ten thousand years would finally be removed, allowing them to see the outside world, many were ecstatic for a myriad of reasons. Some of them were happy with this decision as it would finally allow the Nightborne to expand their city, resulting in them removing the single birth policy to prevent overpopulation. Others were eager to explore the world, see if it has survived the destruction of the Burning Legion, and the cultures that must have been born since their isolation. And others were just happy to see the sun and the stars once again. The barrier have prevented them from seeing such things and it pleased some to see them once again.

And now they were seeing people of the outside for the first time in ten thousand years and it made them curious. Some of them, seeing the Nightelves, wondered if they were still the dominant race on Azeroth and have rebuilt their empire. If so, would they accept them? Others, seeing the Blood elves and High Elf Archer, were surprised to see other elves, just of a pastier color and shorter. Then there were the ones that saw Thalyssra guards and were awestruck.

They all, aside from the giant rat with them, but even he wore armor that impressed them, fearsome looking armor that was so inelegant that none of their artisans would have even considered making something like those. In fact, they would shun those that would consider making such armor in the first place. Yet, Thalyssra had them as her guards and, judging from how relaxed she was with their presence, indicated that she was fine with them. Why their First Arcanist was fine with such beings was beyond them, but rumors have spread that a small group of powerful warriors had found a cure to their addiction to the Nightwell and have allied themselves with Suramar. Perhaps these were the individuals if the rumors were true.

Whatever they are, what matters was that they were all here to meet with Elisande and that today would not be something that would be forgotten.

* * *

**Sanctum of Order**

* * *

"So, it's true." Said Elisande as Valtrois gave her report about the Arcan'dor tree that Kel'danath planted with the help of team Sigma and the Nightelf Farodin. "The tree can truly recover us from our addiction to the Nightwell."

"Indeed it can." Said Valtrois, satisfaction in her tone. She, along with a few other Arcanists, had traveled with Kel'danath to where the Arcan'dor tree was. Though she had seen the effects herself, Elisande still wanted more confirmation that it worked and that it had no adverse effects. Upon finding it and beginning some tests, non-dangerous tests of course, on the tree and it's fruit, they confirmed that the tree's fruit can indeed cure them of their addiction to the Nightwell. And it was quite a tasty fruit too. After confirming it multiple times to ensure Elisande of the good news, Valtrois came back to give her the news. "I think it's time for us to share the good news to the rest of the populace." Elisande nodded in agreement, happy that things continued to go well for them. And with the arrival of the Horde and Alliance envoys arriving soon, she prayed that it continued to do so.

"Indeed." Said Elisande before looking at advisor Melandrus. "Melandrus, as soon as the negotiations with the Horde and Alliance are done, inform the populace that there is indeed a cure for our addiction." Melandrus nodded at that, already thinking of ways to add this to Elisande's next speech to her people.

Alas, that would have to wait as the Horde and Alliance envoys arrived in the Sanctum. Smiling at them all, Elisande appreciated the fact that they were all elves. Inferior elves, but still elves. They should know something about proper propriety and elegance.

"Welcome." Said Elisande as Thalyssra escorted everyone inside the sanctum, directing them to various podiums so they can begin the negotiations. "I am pleased to see that you all arrived here safe and sound. Tell me, how did you enjoy your view of Suramar?"

"It was an exquisite experience." Said Liadrin with a smile. "It was a grand honor to see such a jewel of the Night elf empire in all it's glory." Elisande smiled arrogantly at that. She then looked at Tyrande, the leader of the Night elves and the Alliance diplomat, eager to hear her answer.

Biting her lip, Tyrande looked at Elisande and spoke.

"I must admit, it is good to see that my home city has not only survived, but thrived." Said Tyrande, trying to keep her grudge against the Nightborne under control. "You have done much for yourselves since the War of the Ancients." Elisande smiled wider at that.

"Grand words from the night elf that has led the resistance against the Burning Legion. I had thought it was a doomed resistance, but here you are. I'm normally not wrong and I hate being so, but this occasion, I'm happy that I was. You've done well, Tyrande. Making sure the Kaldorei thrive. You should be proud of yourself." Said Elisande with a smile. Tyrande, knowing what Elisande was doing, nonetheless accepted the praise.

"Thank you." Said Tyrande. "Kind words from the Grand Magistrix of Suramar. "I hope that we can, once again, be a united people."

"Perhaps we will someday." Said Elisande. "But first, the Nightborne shall remain neutral in the affairs of both the Horde and Alliance. We see no reason to join neither side as a vassal, nor do we have any incentive to side with one side over the other. We will welcome both in our city. For all should enjoy the bountiful knowledge and goods that Suramar holds." Extending her arms out, Elisande looked at both the Horde and Alliance envoys and began the negotiations.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Farthing**

**Tirisfal Glades**

* * *

"My lord." Yelled a human Twilight Cultist member as he approached the Twilight Hammer leader, Farthing, as he was directing other members of the cult in removing all valuables in their hideout so they can move it all to their new home in Kul Tiras and Zandalar. With him was a blade of unusual design. "We found it."

It was a serrated dagger with a hilt guard that had several spikes across it. In it's hilt was a single eye that moved around, examining it's surroundings with hunger.

Upon seeing the blade, Farthing grew ecstatic. Wrenching the blade from the cult member, Farthing examined the blade closely, ensuring that it wasn't a fake. Once he confirmed it, he began to address it.

"Oh, entity within this blade, speak to me. For I bring tidings from my master." Said Farthing as he addressed the blade. After a few moments, a female voice began to speak.

"What does N'Zoth want of me?" Demanded the voice. Once it was taken from it's last resting place by Farthing's men, it peered into their minds and saw why they were taking the blade for themselves.

"I do not know." Said Farthing truthfully. "You will have to address him yourself."

"***Sighs* **Very well." Said the entity within the blade. Checking to see if it can safely speak to N'Zoth in the void without drawing attention. Once it confirmed it can, it left the mortal plane and went to the void, it's birth place.

Upon entering, it could see the hellish world that was the void, adopting a feminine form there. A dark and empty place, full of hellish abominations that either give one false promises in exchange for their service or were eager to just infect and spread the void to the physical realm. Passing through several void creatures, the entity with the Xal'atath blade waited for N'Zoth to arrive. A few minutes later, a massive dark cloud, even dark then everything around the entity formed in front of it and soon, an eye formed from the cloud.

"Xal'atath, it has been too long." Said N'Zoth as the two addressed each other in the void. "I see that you are still imprisoned in the blade that Y'Shaarj imprisoned you in." Upon hearing of the other old god, Xal'atath growled.

"Bring up Y'Shaarj again and whatever you want from me will be refused." Said Xal'atath.

"Such hostility." Said N'Zoth. "No matter. I believe it would please you to know that Y'Shaarj is no more. I have drained the last of his power into my being, adding his own strength and knowledge to my own." Upon hearing that, Xal'atath paused in surprise. Sure enough, she sensed that N'Zoth was far stronger than he was when it had last met him. Scoffing in amusement, Xal'atath demanded to know what he wanted. "It's simple. I want your help to ensure our victory against the forces of Azeroth. I don't know if you know, but Yogg-Saron and C'Thun were almost free from their shackles, only to be defeated by the mortal races of Azeroth. This made me realize that, in order to win against them, we must weaken them. Weaken them to the point that they will not be able to stop us, no matter how strong their fighters are." Interested, Xal'atath spoke.

"What do you propose then?" Asked Xal'atath. Like N'Zoth she wants the corrupt Azeroth's world soul, turn it into a vessel for the void to use against the physical realm. She didn't care which old god did it, just that it was done.

"Help me do to bring Azeroth to my will and I will free you from your prison. Right now." Said N'Zoth. Xal'atath, surprised at this, looked at N'Zoth, checking to see if he was lying or not. Upon sensing and seeing that he wasn't, she demanded to know why. "Because, I see no reason to keep you locked up in that blade. Your skills are much to valuable for you to be locked up in that blade. You will be instrumental in our fight to both release me and to secure Azeroth for the void." Sensing that N'Zoth was telling the truth, Xal'atath agreed so long as she was freed now and would not be betrayed later. Swearing that he would not betray her, N'Zoth began the complex ritual needed to free Xal'atath from her prison.

In the mortal realm, meanwhile, Farthing saw the Xal'atath blade floated up by itself, pulsing with power. Seeing this, Farthing ordered the corpse of an elf woman to be brought forth.

A few seconds later, several cultists brought forth a female high elf corpse on a stretcher. She was beautiful, typical of an elf. Her long blond hair went down to her hips and her eyes, though they were closed, were blue like the ocean. It was ordered by N'Zoth for them to kill an elf woman of exceptional beauty so they can use it as a vessel for Xal'atath, the entity within the blade of the same name. When asked, N'Zoth said that Xal'atath had always been a little…vain when it comes to her looks. It was difficult, but they eventually found a high elf in the Eastern Kingdoms and killed her and dragged her corpse here in their hideout, waiting for it's host to arrive.

After a few minutes, the blade emitted a pulse that sent Farthing and the other cultists to the ground.

Shaking his head, Farthing look around to see the dead elven corpse up and about, it's pale skin going even paler to the point that it was chalk white, not unlike some Forsaken. It's blond hair turned blue and it's eyes began to glow bright blue as well. Flexing it's fingers, the body spoke.

"Hmm…the hair will need to be cut." Said the body as it moved around. "But other than that, this is a body worthy of me."

"Excellent." Said N'Zoth as he spoke to everyone present. Upon hearing N'Zoth's voice, some cultists went to the ground, screaming their devotion for him. Amused, N'Zoth nonetheless went to business. "Farthing, your cultists have done well. You should be pleased." Upon hearing the praise, Farthing bowed at N'Zoth.

"Thank you, my lord." Said Farthing. "We live to serve."

"And you will be rewarded for doing so." Said N'Zoth before speaking to Xal'atath. "Xal'atath, obey Farthing as if he was me. He may be mortal, but he knows what's he's doing. Also, once they've returned, you will obey the orders of one of my finest agents." Though she was displeased at being placed under the command of lesser beings, Xal'atath nonetheless agreed.

"Very well." Said Xal'atath. "But know this, if your Farthing does anything to incur my wrath, I will kill him."

"He will not. He's not stupid." Said N'Zoth. "He knows what's he's doing." Xal'atath just scoffed at that, but choose to believe N'Zoth. "Farthing, what happened to the team that was sent to the location I sent you?"

"They will be arriving today with your gifts, my god." Said Farthing. "Once they've arrived, we'll depart of Kul Tiras and Zandalar immediately. We will contact you once we've arrived."

"Good." Said N'Zoth. "Good. Once they have arrived, they'll be bringing in a guest with them. A guest that should augment your strength well."

"A guest?" Asked Farthing in surprise. "What kind of guest?"

"A guest that will show you what I have in store for Azeroth upon my release." Said N'Zoth ominously. "Anything else, you don't need to know. For now, just do what I have already asked of you and keep the blade of Xal'atath with you. It's…required for one of my other allies." Upon hearing that both Xal'atath and Farthing asked N'Zoth of what ally. "He…does not wish to be revealed just yet. Just know that he will be a grand help to us and that it will require much to ensure his continued cooperation." With that, N'Zoth left them all, leaving them all to wonder who this ally was and why they wanted the blade that held Xal'atath prisoner for so long.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Plums- I apologize if you feel that way.**

* * *

**Suramar**

* * *

"**So far, so good." **Thought Thalyssra as the meeting between the Nightborne and the Horde and Alliance envoys continued. So far, no one had accused the other of cowardice, treason, or something along those lines. They all treated each other with the elegance and respect one might expect from an elf. She supposed it was because neither Tyrande, Elisande, or Liadrin wanted to make their people look bad by insulting the other two, whether it was subtle or not, so they kept cordial with one another.

For Thalyssra, she hoped that her people get something out of this that won't cause them to regret their choices later on. From what she had discerned of both the Horde and Alliance they tend to not like it when one side has something that the other doesn't and resent those that try to keep neutral from their conflicts, likely because those neutral factions could have been the difference between victory and defeat for either faction. Even those that deal with both factions weren't spared from this with both sides trying their best to coerce them to join their side solely. As such, Thalyssra feared that trying to gain something from both factions will only end badly for her people.

While Chief and his team promised to protect them from retribution from the Horde and Alliance in case one of them grew angry enough at the Nightborne for their neutrality to act on said emotions, she silently feared that wouldn't be enough. They number under the dozen and the Nightborne in the tens of thousands. The Horde and Alliance probably number in the hundreds of thousands each, perhaps millions. If war did come to the Nightborne, Thalyssra feared much for her city and her people.

It must have been noticeable because she heard Chief talk. His team had been stationed with her own podium in the Sanctum of order. Thought Valtrois didn't like them around, only because they're appearances contrast so much with the dark purple and white of the Sanctum, she allowed them because of Thalyssra's trust in them. Her friend was such a difficult woman sometimes.

"Are you alright?" Asked Chief, turning slightly at Thalyssra to indicate that he was listening to her while not taking his eyes off of the Horde and Alliance envoys as they spoke to Elisande. Twitching her ears in discomfort, Thalyssra whispered to Chief, quiet enough that only he can hear.

"Yes, I'm worried that will end with us being a prime target for either or both of these two factions." Said Thalyssra as she still looked the envoys to make it look like she was paying all her attention at them and not her guard. "I heard that the Pandaren have split into three factions. Those that want nothing to do with the Horde and Alliance and those that have joined either faction. I fear something like that would happen to my people. Or worse." Chief, understanding her concern, but didn't know what to say, replied that he didn't know what to say to her to make her feel better. Disappointed slightly, Thalyssra nonetheless nodded. "I fear that opening our barriers and attempting to trade with both factions will tear our city apart. I don't want to see my city strife with civil war." Sensing her distress, Valtrois looked at her friend and wanted to comfort her when Chief placed a hand at Thalyssra's shoulder, squeezed it softly, before letting go. Although a part of Valtrois wanted to scold him for laying a hand on the First Arcanist, when she sensed her friend calm down at his touch, she relented.

"That's shows you're a good leader to your people." Said Chief. "You wouldn't worry about the negatives of these decisions if you didn't worry for your people." Thalyssra, though it wasn't what she wanted, just smiled.

"I thank you for those words.' Said Thalyssra. "I just wish I didn't stop worrying so much."

"Don't worry to the point of it overriding your sense of logic and confidence, Thalyssra." Warned Chief. "It's important as a leader to keep a balance mind and to rein in on their emotions as much as they can."

"You make it sound so easy." Said Thalyssra, the ear that was closet to Chief twitched as she spoke.

"I know." Said Chief. "But it's still an important lesson that one must keep in mind at all times, especially with something like this." Thalyssra nodded at that as she went back to looking at Elisande speaking to both the Horde and Alliance envoys.

"So, we are in agreement." Said Elisande with a smile. This was going all according to her plans. The Alliance and Horde were agreeing to have Suramar as a place of neutrality, similar to a goblin town called Ratchet, where both sides could intermingle. They also agreed to not make any attempt to negotiate with Suramar in joining either faction unless Elisande allows such talks. In exchange, Suramar would give out some of it's goods, particularly their Arcwine and some manufactured goods, and some of their magic to both sides, although the more advanced spells would be kept out of the hands of the Horde and Alliance. It was an agreement that benefitted the Nightborne greatly and Elisande was satisfied with it. "I will have my people construct the final draft of the agreement. It should be done in the next few days. I thank you both for being such wonderful guests in Suramar. I can tell that we'll all benefit from this agreement."

Tyrande, a bit annoyed with Elisande's cordial way of speaking, just smiled and bowed. Followed by Liadrin as soon as she spotted it.

"You honor us." Said Tyrande, looking at Elisande directly. "If it is not too much to ask, can both the Horde and Alliance be given a building in Suramar so that we can ease the burden of negotiations." Elisande nodded at that.

"Yes. Unfortunately, all of the buildings in Suramar are occupied." Said Elisande. "So, you'll have to settle with a room within the Sanctum. We'll quickly have two rooms retrofitted for both envoys. Until then, may I implore you all to partake in a tour of Suramar. Especially you, Tyrande. Much has changed since you left your home. I believe the changes are sufficient enough for you to partake in a tour of the city." Tyrande pursed her lips at that. She really needed to report to Varian that she successfully managed to give a favorable treaty for the Alliance. It was favorable to all technically, but as long as the Alliance benefitted it as much as the Horde, then Varian will not be too disappointed with the results. But at the same time, she was eager to explore her former home and see what changed and what stayed.

Thinking that it would be fine if she indulged on her curiosity, it's not like she was pressed for time after all, she agreed with the tour, but asked it be separate to the one given to the Horde.

Liadrin, both out of seeing what Suramar had to offer to the Horde in goods as well as wanting to see the grand beauty of Suramar for something that was just for her own curiosity, agreed as well, saying that it be best for all that Horde and Alliance interactions are kept as minimal as possible so that neither side damages the grand city of Suramar. With that, Elisande had two of her guards to send forth their finest tour guides and adjourned the meeting.

With that done, everyone left, leaving Thalyssra with Valtrois and team Sigma.

"That went well." Said Valtrois. "Though I sincerely hope that Elisande is doing the right thing in not picking a side. From what Thalyssra told me, they are not exactly a tolerate group of people for those that wish to trade with both sides openly. At least at the moment."

"You'll be fine." Said Courier. "If one attacks you first without a good reason, it'll make them look bad in the eyes of their citizens and the more righteous people in their side. But if that isn't enough, we'll do what we can to prevent them from, you know, assaulting this place, killing most of your leadership, and taking what they want from this place. Both in arms and in diplomacy." Upon hearing the last word, Ikit scoffed loudly at that, causing some people to glare at him.

"That's good to hear." Said Thalyssra with a smile. "It's good to have friends that know when to fight and when to talk. It speaks volumes of your strength and beliefs." High Elf Archer smiled at that. Thalyssra reminded her so much of her older sister, just a bit less insistent on her to settle down and marry or to stop adventuring with her party. She wondered if she should ask Thalyssra if she was open to having a little get together with her and the team again. No diplomacy or political stuff. Just a get together for the purpose of getting to know each other. Thinking it was a good time as any other, High Elf was about to ask her about it when her ears twitched at hearing the sounds of footsteps coming closer. Turning around, she saw Shandris coming up to them, an impassive expression on her face.

"Greeting to you again, team Sigma." Said Shandris, bowing respectfully at those that saved her life when Azshara tried to kill her sometime ago. She then looked at Thalyssra and Valtrois, frowning a bit, before speaking again. "Tyrande wishes to speak to you, lady Thalyssra. She wants to speak to you alone." Upon hearing that, Thalyssra twitched her ears at that, surprised that Tyrande would want to speak to her alone and not Elisande. She may be the First Arcanist of Suramar, making her one of it's highest figures of authority, but she thought Tyrande would focus mostly on Elisande as she had most of the power in Suramar. Still, it would be rude of her to deny Tyrande, and so told Shandris to lead her towards Tyrande. Valtrois protested, thinking that this was foolish, but Thalyssra assured her friend that there was nothing to worry about and that Tyrande won't do anything foolish in Suramar. Plus, she hadn't done anything wrong to the matriarch of the Night Elves so there shouldn't be any problems between the two ten-thousand-year-old elf ladies. Still reluctant about this, Valtrois nonetheless allowed this and watched as her friend left with Shandris Feathermoon, praying that this would not go array for the Nightborne.

* * *

**Sometime later**

**Tyrande**

* * *

"Everything is going well for us, king Varian." Said Tyrande as she addressed king Varian, who was busy with the rest of the Alliance leaders in discussing reparations with the Horde leaders in Ratchet, communicating with him directly there as a result of Jaina teleporting her to Ratchet. The Goblin town was too dirty and atrocious to Tyrande's eyes, but it was the only neutral town that accepted both Horde and Alliance personal, making it the only place for them to negotiate in. "Elisande has allowed an embassy be established in Suramar and is also allowing trade to be done with us as well as exchanges of magic. Unfortunately, the Horde also have the same deal with Suramar." Varian pursed his lips at that, not happy that the Horde have the same deal as the Alliance did. It was the exact same thing with the Pandaren, who has split into three factions. One was with the Alliance, the other with the Horde, and the final was for neither, despising both for what Garrosh did as well as dragging them into their war between each other. Reminding himself that it was to be expected and that, sooner or later, Suramar would choose a faction, Varian calmed himself and looked at Tyrande.

"A pity, but what I expected." Said Varian. "If I recall, you called Elisande as one that will do anything so long as it benefitted her people. Even playing sides in order to gain something out of it." Tyrande nodded.

"Yes." Said Tyrande, recalling Elisande and her pompous attitude when it came to the lower class of Night Elves back during the height of the Night Elf empire. In fact, during the negotiations, she saw Elisande giving her and her envoy looks of hidden mock behind her impassive face. Having never been part of the higher classes of Night elf society, she knew that the Highborne had looked down on the normal class of Nightelves, even though there were no significant physical differences between the two. Heck, she had faced the same discrimination even during her time as a simple priest in the Sisterhood of Elune. The Highborne of Suramar were no different. "She always had looked down upon the lower classes of the old Night Elf empire, much like majority of Highborne at that time, but she also was keen and had a good hand on economics and politics. She's driven on the survival and future of the Nightborne of Suramar. And, at the moment, the best way to do that is to play with both factions, make them interested in Suramar's resources enough that they won't try to invade to take those by force without irreparable damage to said resources." Varian nodded as he heard that. This Elisande knew what she was doing, he'll give her that.

"Unfortunately, she's right in that regard. The magic and resources of Suramar, as well as it's position in the Broken Isles, could prove invaluable in a future war against the Horde." Said Varian. Though he was allowed the Horde to remain as it is this time, it was only this time. If they did pulled something like the war just a few weeks ago, then he'll dismantle them once and for all. That was something he promised his son, Anduin, who wanted the horde to remain as it is, as well as everyone else in both the Horde and Alliance. Even if rebels help them succeed in winning over Horde like they did with Garrosh, it won't be enough to persuade him from doing what must be done to secure the future of the Alliance. Tyrande frowned at that, a bit disappointed at Varian with his choice of words, before speaking.

"If so, then I don't think we need the resources of Suramar as much as you think. Or, at least, the same need as the Horde does.' Said Tyrande. Varian raised an eyebrow at that.

"And why is that, Tyrande?" Asked Varian. Curious. Tyrande sighed before explaining herself.

"It was the Highborne that had caused the War of the Ancients, Varian." Explained Tyrande. "It was them that brought the Burning Legion to Azeroth and split the lands into what they are today. And, even when the Burning Legion came and fought against us, most of them ran and hide, like those in Suramar, leaving us, the common folk and other beings, to fight the Legion." She then took a deep breath before speaking again. "Varian, these people are backstabbers. They do not know of loyalty to others, only to themselves. Their magic, while powerful, is unnecessary to the wealth of knowledge that we already have. So, I cannot agree to the idea that we need the Nightborne or their goods. We should not fall to Elisande's manipulations." Varian just stayed silent, processing this information, before speaking.

"Tyrande." Said Varian. "Are you sure your opinion is based solely on logic and fact, and not on emotions." Tyrande, stunned by this, was about to retort when Varian continued to speak. "As I recall, your Night elves destroyed all Highborne after the war. As a way to prevent something like the Burning Legion from coming again, I know, but also as a form of vindictive revenge against the Highborne for their cowardice and treatment of you, am I wrong?" Tyrande just sighed as she nodded. "So, I do not see why we should not gain the same knowledge that the Suramar elves are offering us. It's same magic from those that mistreated you, yes, but it's just magic, Tyrande. What matters is the wielder of the sword, not the sword itself. Besides, the Horde is having no qualms with taking the Nightborne in, so we should do the same, less they gain an advantage over us. Am I understood?" Tyrande sighed again before nodding.

"Very well, Varian." Said Tyrande, a weary look on her face. "I do not agree with this, but I will trust in your judgement. Though I recommend picking someone else for future negotiations with the Nightborne. I'm afraid my emotions, as well as those of my people, against the Highborne will affect our relations with the Nightborne if we stay here for an extended period of time. Perhaps your son Anduin or someone of the Kirin Tor council can be a good pick." Varian nodded at Tyrande's words.

"I'll speak with the rest of my advisors about this, but for now, stay there." Said Varian. "I'm afraid the negotiations with the Horde are taking much more time than we initially thought." Tyrande nodded at that before leaving to find Jaina or some other wizard capable of teleporting her back to Suramar. After finding one, she had them teleport her back to Suramar. Once she arrived back in Suramar, she made a note to have the Alliance make a portal between Suramar and some secure place in Alliance lands. Perhaps Stormwind itself or Dalaran.

Once she arrived, she spotted Shandris with Thalyssra, the Nightborne woman looking at Tyrande with curiosity in her eyes. Upon seeing her mother, Shandris gave a salute and spoke.

"Tyrande, I've brought the First Arcanist as you requested." Said Shandris. Nodding at her adopted daughter, Tyrande looked at Thalyssra, a pang of anger rising within her before it was quashed down.

"Thank you, Shandris, you may go now." Said Tyrande, causing Shandris to leave the two women alone. Once they were, Tyrande spoke. "I'll get to the point, arcanist Thalyssra. Were you truly sorry for abandoning the Kaldorei during our time of need. With your magical prowess, we could have prevented the amount of deaths that occurred on our side. We could have lessened the amount of damage that the legion inflicted on Azeroth. We might have been able to stop Illi…" She stopped whatever she was going to say and instead glaring at Thalyssra, who sighed, sensing the hostility.

"I cannot speak for most of my people or Elisande, but a few of the other Arcanists, myself included, thought we should have not hidden ourselves against the legion. That we should have helped you in your resistance against them. Even if we lost our lives against the demons, it was better to die a pointless death than be a slave to those monsters." Said Thalyssra, looking at Tyrande's glare with her own impassive stare. "Unfortunately, we were outnumbered and the group that wished to hide ourselves had their way with Elisande's approval." She sighed before speaking again. "You have no idea how hard it was for us to do something like that, Tyrande. We had to abandon most of our families that were outside the barrier to the legion. Many of us had nightmares of them being ripped apart by demons while we slept comfortably in Suramar." She then closed her eyes as she remembered her own family, all of whom were stationed in other Highborne cities, as well as those she trained in the way of the Arcane, and the nightmares she had in the first few decades that barrier was up. She hated herself for not getting at least one of them in Suramar with her and it still haunted her that she basically left her family to die while she stayed cozy in Suramar. Looking at Thalyssra's stance, Tyrande saw that she was telling the truth, and sighed.

"I suppose it's good that some of you know the error of your choice." Said Tyrande, glare still there, but lessened after seeing the regret in Thalyssra. "But that does not explain why you didn't lower the barrier once the war was over. A hundred years is acceptable. Perhaps a thousand, but ten thousand years? Why did you not lower the barrier sooner? Did you not have to take laws against births and the like?" Thalyssra nodded.

"We did." Said Thalyssra. "Families were only allowed one child unless stated otherwise by Elisande. And we had to use the powers of the Nightwell to sustain us during the time of the barrier. We thought the rest of the world was uninhabitable and that the only fertile place left was Suramar. Or worse, that the Burning legion made Azeroth a staging ground for them."

"But you had access of magic capable of fertilizing the land." Argued Tyrande. "Even if you hadn't, it wouldn't take much time for you to figure out how to re-fertilize the land. And the Burning Legion theory did not make sense. They have access to their own infernal realm, they did not need Azeroth as a staging ground." Thalyssra sighed before nodding in agreement.

"Fear can cause people to make outlandish theories." Said Thalyssra. "And it was enough for Elisande to permanently keep the barrier on for the rest of our lives." She then opened her eyes at Tyrande. "I'm sorry, Tyrande. As stated before, some of us regretted leaving you all to die, but the safety to our citizens and people came first in Elisande's mind. I hope that you can acquaint with such ideals." Tyrande just sighed at that, frustrated at this, before nodding.

"I can." Said Tyrande. "But that does not make me forgive the amount of deaths that could have been prevented had you all helped us in the battle against the Legion." Thalyssra nodded at that.

"And I don't intend it to.' Said Thalyssra. "I'm merely giving you the explanation you deserve. I can't promise it is satisfactory for you, but I can promise that it is the truth. From the bottom of my heart." Looking at Thalyssra and her impassive stare, Tyrande pursed her lips before tilting her head slightly.

"It was not satisfactory, nor did it make me forgive your mistakes, but it does give me some clemency for knowing the reason that you hide instead of fighting, no matter how much I disagree with it." Said Tyrande. Thalyssra nodded at that.

"As a sign of apology, do you wish for me to give you a tour of Suramar?" Offered Thalyssra. "Much has changed since you've been here and I believe I can help you adjust to the changes more than any of Elisande's selected tours can."

"As much as that is tempting, I cannot." Said Tyrande. "Do not worry about me. If I can face entire hordes of demons by myself, I can deal with an arrogant Nightborne, who believed themselves to be the pinnacle of Night elf evolution." Thalyssra smiled at that before bowing at Tyrande as she took her leave. Before she left, however, Tyrande turned her head slightly at Thalyssra. "You are wise, Thalyssra, and more empathetic than Elisande. It's a pity that you are not Grand Magistrix of Suramar instead of her." With that, she left, leaving Thalyssra, shocked at what Tyrande said.

"**Me as Grand Magistrix?" **Thought Thalyssra as she brought her hands to her chest. **"That's absurd! Even if I wanted to, I cannot be Grand Magistrix. Elisande has far more support in the city than I ever could hope for. As long as she lives, I cannot be Grand Magistrix, and for that, I am grateful. My position as First Arcanist is stressful enough, I don't need the extra burden that comes with being the Grand Magistrix."** Sighing, she left to find team Sigma, eager to speak with her allies more and get to know them more.

* * *

**Few days later**

**Underground base beneath Kul Tiras**

* * *

'I cannot believe that all this is beneath Kul Tiras." Said Farthing as he looked at the massive room that hold some of the vault's largest weapons. It had been two days since he brought his followers to Kul Tiras and finding the vault that N'Zoth spoke of. Xal'atath had brought the Orcs to Zandalar and reported in that they successfully found the vault and have settled in, finding great technological weapons in them just as the one in Kul Tiras.

When Farthing found the vaults, he expected just a big empty place with enough room for his people to sleep in. What he got completely stupefied them all.

The vault wasn't just a place for them to train, sleep, and hide until the day of their reckoning. It was a vast fortress, complete with a basic foundry to create more arms and armor for their uses. Not that it would be needed. In vast rooms were advanced weapons and armor that not even the Gnomes and Dwarves could create in their wildest dreams. And in other rooms were large vehicles that make the vehicles used by those races look like children's play toys.

Some were large tanks that were so heavily armored that it looked like only magic can hurt them. Others were bipedal machines that rivaled the largest war machines in the Alliance arsenal in height and size.

And then there were the sentient machines that bristled with guns on them and handled the daily maintenance of the vault.

Combined all that, were vast tunnels that lead to the outside, placed in areas that allowed access to the base without being detected. All in all, a great fortress of the Twilight Hammer cult to grow and prosper until the day of reckoning.

"How the Kul Tirans failed to notice all this," Said Farthing as he looked all around him, smiling as he did so. "Is beyond me. Perhaps this a sign that the world needs N'Zoth to set it on the right path."

"Do not be so foolish, Farthing." Said Xal'atath as she walked up to the human leader of the Twilight Hammer cult. Her elf body's hair was now cut short. Now it only flowed down enough that it can barely touch her shoulders. "Those foolish Kul Tirans were so focused on the Horde and Alliance as well as their obsession with the water that they failed to recognize the grave threat underneath them. It's that simple." Farthing just chuckled as he looked at Xal'atath.

"Perhaps, but that is also a sign that the world needs N'Zoth. His planning and genius is what will us the planet. Not brute strength, though much of that will be needed." Said Farthing. Xal'atath just scoffed but nodded in agreement. She had to admit, she didn't like Farthing at first, believing him to be just a sad mortal that followed N'Zoth around because he promised understanding and a place of acceptance, but no. He actually had a brain and followed N'Zoth, not because he told him to do so, but because he genuinely believed in N'Zoth's goals and followed them with passion that came from understanding, not false loyalty. For that, she'll refrain from flaying him alive for spouting such ridiculous religious fervor.

"Moving on, I must admit." Said Xal'atath, looking at the vast room before them, seeing the various machine below them, either just standing there menacingly or were maintain other machines. "N'Zoth has planned this for a long time. Perhaps even longer than his plan with Deathwing. The amount of resources dedicated to making the vaults here and Zandalar would have taken a large amount of time and resources." Farthing nodded in agreement at that.

"Yes." Said Farthing. "Hmm…did N'Zoth expect Deathwing to fail?"

"No, I believe Deathwing was just a way to divert the Alliance and Horde's attention from all this." Said Xal'atath. "Or perhaps he did intend Deathwing to win and this was all just a backup plan in case he did fail. He didn't lose much if Deathwing lost, after all. But another question remained, how did he gain all this?" Farthing, also wondering that, wondered what his master did to gain all this and what else he had in store for the Alliance and Horde for he told them that he had more vaults like this around the world. Just thinking about it made Farthing excited for the coming slaughter that was to come when N'Zoth made the call to finally bring the coming of his time.

The two pondered on the last question when suddenly one of the machines of the vault, a biped machine with a skeletal structure with a long thing neck that attached a cone-like head that was angled down with four slits for eyes, two for each side of the head, came up to them.

"Uh, lord Farthing? Madam Xal'atath?" Said the machine in a squeaky voice. "A transmission came from N'Zoth's partner. He's requesting that a team of our best soldiers be sent to these coordinates." He then handed them a thick, metallic, pad that showcased a map of Azeroth, pointing to a specific location. Grabbing the pad from the machine, Farthing looked at the map and was astounded at it.

"The Blasted Lands?" Asked Farthing incredulously, looking at the machine who squeaked out in fear. "Why would that…partner of our lord wants us to send our best men to that barren wasteland."

"No idea." Said the machine. "All he said that he wants specimen of great historical value for his collection. No idea what they are though." Xal'atath just hummed as Farthing and the droid spoke.

This business partner of N'Zoth was someone that caused no end of paranoia for Xal'atath. Upon arriving to the vaults beneath Kul Tiras and Zandalar, both Farthing and Xal'atath had received a, what the machines called, transmission from a communication device embedded on a wall in a room called a communication station. The transmission came with a metallic voice that introduced itself as N'Zoth's business partner and had warmed them warmingly to the vaults. It then told them that they'll be doing some errands for him when the time comes. And when that time comes, they better get what he wants or else N'Zoth would be displeased. Neither liking being ordered by an unknown, the two tried to speak to the voice when it suddenly ended the transmission. Since then, they've wondered who this business partner was and how they came into contact with N'Zoth.

Despite repeated attempts by Farthing and herself, N'Zoth himself refused to expose the identity of his partner, claiming that they wanted to avoid revealing themselves, lest they ruin their own agendas. The last time Xal'atath asked, N'Zoth forcibly brought her to the void and told her that repeated attempt will be meet with pain and misery as well as her being forced back into her prison. He then told her, in order to satisfy her curiosity a bit, that the partner was someone that can give them the means to vastly cripple the Horde and Alliance as well as removing a pest that could endanger their plans for taking Azeroth. So long as they meet his long list of demands of course.

If anything, that explanation left Xal'atath with more questions. What could be so powerful to make an Old God, even as one as intelligent as N'Zoth, bow to their demands? It can't be the Burning Legion, she knew enough of the demon army to know the Old Gods will never work with them. It couldn't be another being in the Void as they all have the same agenda in mind. So, what could it be? It drove her mad with annoyance and curiosity. Eventually, she was snapped out of her thoughts when Farthing sighed.

"Very well, I'll send the team I sent to collect the vault's contents near Darnassus to do this." Said Farthing. "Send them in."

"Yes sir." Said the machine before leaving. A few minutes later, Derek Swifthand, Gorl Dragonteeth, and Kudius Starkguard arrived with the machine. With them, however, was the person that the three had came back with the being that they had brought from the Darnassus vault.

When he saw the being, Farthing was shocked at how tall they were. Being almost as tall as a Nightelf male, the being was armored in dark purple and black armor that covered a black under suit beneath it all. There were opening here and there, mostly in the joints, but the armor covered the user well and the under suit looked like it can take a bit of punishment as well. To cover their identity, the user had a helmet on with a gold visor, contrastingly greatly with it the rest of it's armor.

All in all, a terrifying being that made Farthing glad it was on their side. Even more so, when he sensed the presence of the void within it, augmenting it's already impressive strength.

"I see, you brought your companion with you." Said Farthing as he looked at the being before the trio of soldiers he asked for.

"Yes.' Said Derek. "He wanted to come along. He though it would be good for us all to work together and form an effective team with each other." Farthing nodded at that, understanding the reasoning behind it.

"Hm…very well.' Said Farthing. "Now, you four will go to the Blasted Lands. N'Zoth's…partner requests that you make it there. Why, I have no idea."

"It's located here." Said the machine as he brought another metal pad with coordinates. The giant being took it and inspected it. Once it did, it spoke in a masculine voice

"We'll head out at once." Said the being before looking at Farthing and Xal'atath. "We will not fail you or N'Zoth."

"I know you won't." Said Farthing. "But in the case you do, the punishment will be severe. You understand?" The four nodded before departing. Once they did, Xal'atath thought of the being before her and wondered who they were.

"**If I recall, it called itself a Spartan." **Thought Xal'atath when she first meet it. **"Interesting bunch of things you have, N'Zoth. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for Azeroth."**

* * *

**A day later**

**The Blasted Lands**

* * *

"I can't believe I'm here." Said Gorl as he walked besides his group in the Blasted Lands. He remembered the Blasted Lands well. It was the lands that the Orcs used to travel through during their first invasion of Azeroth, back when they were under the command of the Orc shaman, Gul'dan. Back then, it was a lush plains with trees and grass. But, then, it grew into an infertile land of sand and rock. All because of Gul'dan and his magic. It he hadn't died and the Horde lost their first invasion of Azeroth, the planet may be as dead as Draenor is. "The place where my people first came to Azeroth."

"Sad isn't it." Said Kudius as he walked with his group in the sandy waste of the Blasted Lands. "All this death and destruction. It's a shame that your people came here under the command of a bastard like Gul'dan." Gorl hmphed in agreement, hating Gul'dan as much as any other Orc as, perhaps ironically, was the reason their homeworld of Draenor was a barren wasteland.

"Yeah." Said Derek, uncomfortable with being in the Blasted Lands as it reminded him of Westfold and it's failing crops. "Why did N'Zoth's business partner want us here anyway?" Before anyone could speak, the being with them spoke.

"He wants a prize." Said the being, short and to the point. "Or rather prizes from something here."

"Prizes?" Asked Kudius in shock. "From here? What is there of worth here in the Blasted Lands?" Before anyone could speak, they all suddenly heard a massive war shout coming from somewhere nearby. That caused them all to stop and look at the direction of that in shock.

"What the…" Started Derek before the spartan with them motioned for them to follow him and to do it quietly. Looking at each other, the three did as they were told and followed him. A few minutes later, they found what made that noise and it shocked them to the very core.

Up ahead of them, some great distance away, was a massive Orc army and it was coming out of a massive stone portal that was emitting green energy.

But this army wasn't green like the ones found in the Horde. They were tanned and were wearing black iron armor that covered their entire bodies. On their faces were skull shaped helmets whose eyes glowed bright red as the Orcs looked around themselves. In their hands were mostly swords and axe, but some of them wielded massive oversized guns. Not only that, but there were massive vehicles that bellowed out black smoke as they moved out the stone portal and to the Blasted Lands. Such technology was beyond the skills of Orcs, yet all the group saw were Orcs, tan skinned Orcs, and that shocked them all.

"What is this?" Asked Gorl as he widened his eyes at the Orcs before all them. They were all safety hidden behind some rocks that gave them cover so they wouldn't have to worry about the Orcs spotting them. "Why are there Orcs coming out of the Dark Portal? Draenor is completely devoid of life." No one spoke for they, as well as Gorl, didn't know. For all they knew, the Dark Portal, the same one used by Gul'dan to transport his Horde to Azeroth so many years ago, was only linked to Draenor and Draenor was devoid of life, especially Orc ones. How could Orcs be still coming out of the portal.

"This must be what N'Zoth's partner wants us to take prizes from." Said the spartan. "But how are we going to get them?"

"We-we give you way-way!" Yelled a voice behind them. Turning around, the group, much to their shock, saw a black-clothed rat man, around the size of a human, looking at them with beady, red eyes. How it came close to them without them spotting it was beyond them. Before they could even speak or draw weapons, more black-clothed rat-men arrived and with them were two massive guns, the same shape as a minigun but with a claw with an emitter instead of barrels, that were connected to a large backpack via large thick cables. The guns were obviously meant for the spartan and Gorl as neither Derek and Kudius can carry them without some sort of assistance.

"These-these made by great god partner. Made to capture-steal prizes for him. Just point and shoot at prizes and they be captured! Yes-yes! Then, once done, come back to Blasted Lands and deliver guns to us! We deliver to great god partner! Yes-Yes!" Not even commenting on the rat-men's speech, the spartan grabbed one gun, inspected it, before putting it on. After some trial and error, he put in on the correct way.

"How does this thing work?" Asked the spartan, looking at the rat-men, who simply smirked.

"These!" Yelled another rat-man before some others brought up several sacks and tossing them towards the group. One sack, in particular, toppled over and spilled it's contents, revealing them to be a black colored cube about the size of a fist. "Insert cube-square to this hole!" The rat then pointed to a slot the size of the cube on the side of the gun part of the weapon. Grabbing a cube, the spartan then inserted it into the slot, where it soon slid closed and the gun began to glow green, the emitter being the brightest. "Then aim at prize and fire! Yes-Yes! Cube-square do rest. Remember, one cube for one prize. Yes-yes. Place cube in back thing once it full. It show you once cube thing full!" The spartan nodded before looking at the gathering Orcs, who were still coming out of the portal.

"What are the prizes?" Asked the spartan, looking back at the rat-men, who just brought out a stack of papers.

"Names there." Said the lead rat-man. "Along with faces. No idea why great god partner want filthy brown-skins, but we do what great god orders. Yes-yes." With that the rat men quickly left, disappearing before their eyes.

"Well that was…interesting." Said Kudius as he went back to watching the Orcs coming out of the portal. "What the hell does N'Zoth's partner want?" The spartan just looked at the first paper on the stack he was given.

"Grom Hellscream first of all." Said the spartan, causing his team to look at him in shock.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

* * *

**Nethergarde keep**

**Blasted Lands**

**Five days since Unknown Orc invasion**

* * *

"Incoming!" Yelled an Stormwind soldier as a black balled with spikes all over it flew right towards an building in their base before it exploding, taking the building as well as a bunch of Alliance soldiers with it. "Damnit! Hold fast! Reinforcements are inbound!" Even as he said that, the Alliance forces began to buckle as the brown-skinned Orcs, fitted with metal armor, broke through their lines, supported by other Orcs with large guns that fired grenades at the Alliance ranks, obliterating their ranks and demoralizing them. Their mages did what they could, but the Orcs were too many and they were being overwhelmed through sheer body mass.

Watching as an Orc killed a Dwarf soldier with ease, it then turned towards the soldier that yelled out for his allies before roaring and charging at the human, axe at the ready. Holding fast, the Alliance soldier waited until the last moment to duck under the way and stabbed the Orc in the right side, causing him to roar out in pain as the sword found a chink in his armor. The Orc, then backhanded the human away, causing him to crash into the ground some distance away, his sword gone from his hands. Spitting at the direction of the human, the Orc grabbed the sword embedded in his flesh and broke it in half with his boot, a testament to his strength.

Spitting out blood, the Stormwind soldier just glared at the Orc as he slowly made his way at him, axe ready to split the human in two. Grabbing a knife, the Stormwind soldier gave a prayer before charging at the Orc, ready for his last battle. The Orc roared out a challenge before charging as well. Swinging at the human, the Orc embedded his axe in his head as the human's knife hit his thigh, where his armor was the weakest. Taking the pain, the Orc removed his axe from the corpse, and ripped the knife out of his thigh, looking at the knife with contempt. He then roared out a yell of triumph as the other Orcs began to overwhelm the Alliance defenders.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Suramar**

* * *

"I cannot believe we're facing another invasion of Orcs. From Draenor no less." Said Varian as he looked at a map that showed current Alliance positions against the recent invasion caused by brown-skinned Orcs, wielding a metal flag with three claw mark on it. To his dismay, they were losing territory and fast. And reinforcements are still a day away before they could make a difference. Sighing, he looked at the gathered Horde and Alliance leaders around him before speaking. "Where are your warriors Vol'jin? You promised that you would send aid to help us in this invasion."

"We be sending our ships to the Blasted Lands." Said Vol'jin, looking at Varian with an impassive stare. "But it be taking time for us to travel the distance between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. I be sorry to say, but it'll take at least three more days for us to arrive to help you." Varian sighed at that, knowing that he was right.

"Master Shaw. Do you at least have intel on the enemy?" Asked Varian, looking at his spymaster, who then spoke, giving more graves news.

"Well this is great." Said High Elf Archer as she looked at the Alliance and Horde leaders discussing the recent Orc invasion. It had come to as a shock to them all.

Just four days ago, they received word of the old portal that the Orcs used to travel to Azeroth was starting up again and, to the shock of most, more Orcs came out of them. But they weren't green, they were brown-skinned and were wielding advanced armor and weapons that no Orcs should be able to make. And they had vehicles as well. Taken completely by surprise, the Alliance forces near the portal were overwhelmed and slaughter as the Orcs steamrolled them all, not stopping until they secured a major foothold around the portal. And even then, they kept taking Alliance bases and fortresses, their technology giving them an edge against the unprepared Alliance forces.

When the Alliance leaders had heard of it, they initially thought the Horde was responsible for it, but then the reports came in about the appearance of the Orcs as well as their flag, and that calmed them down. And now, they were all in a meeting in Suramar, one of the few places that they can have a conversation between each other without one side complaining of being in a town that was affiliated with one super power or the other, to discuss these new Orcs and their intentions. Though most already had an inkling idea of what it was.

"Yes." Said Thalyssra, getting the sarcasm in High Elf's voice as she looked at the Alliance and Horde leaders argue amongst themselves on what to do as Shaw gave news that the new Orcs are taking more Alliance territories. "When I wanted the Alliance and Horde to be here in cooperation, I didn't expect it to be around something like war.' She then looked at team Sigma and asked what was going on.

"You're guess is as good as ours." Said Courier as he shrugged. "Best we know, Orcs are invading Azeroth again from their old dead homeworld somehow and they're taking names and kissing the Alliance's ass hard. And the Horde and Alliance are busy arguing with each other rather than focusing on the real problem. To the frustration of Varian and a few others." Thalyssra sighed at that, before looking at the leaders before her, wondering what Elisande was thinking when she, upon hearing the new Orc invasion, offered Suramar as a place for the Alliance to discuss war plans in secret with the Horde. She claimed it was a way to prevent the Orcs from learning their battle plans, but Thalyssra suspected it was just a way for Elisande to get a reading on all the Horde and Alliance leaders. What they do when under stress and under attack as well as figuring out their natures.

"We should be out there fighting." Said High Elf, frustration in her tone. "And yet, we're acting like bodyguards for people that don't need them."

"We need more intel." Said Chief as he spoke finally. "Without intel, we'll be going in blind and we shouldn't do that unless we absolutely have no choice." High Elf was about to argue when Jack agreed.

"Have to side with Chief on this matter." Said Jack. "Don't like being not in the frontlines, but I'm not eager to get fight without knowing about my enemy first if I can help it." Ikit nodded at that.

"Stupid to fight without preparation. Yes-yes." Said Ikit. "Need knowledge on brown-skin Orcs. To better kill-stab them. Yes-yes." He then flexed his metal claws. "We also need to strike at good position-place to better bring death-death to enemy. To do that, we need knowledge. Yes-yes." Courier pointed at Ikit in agreement.

"He's got the right idea." Said Courier. "That's war High Elf. Sometimes you have to wait a bit and prepare in order to save more lives. Or to not at least throw your lives away." High Elf just crunched her face in anger, knowing her teammates were right. Sighing, she wondered how her sister would deal with this. Her thoughts were interrupted when Thalyssra spoke to the Alliance and Horde leaders.

"Perhaps, we should start take a deep breath and calm ourselves." Said Thalyssra as everyone looked at the Nightborne. Hiding the sudden rise of anxiety within her, Thalyssra looked at the Horde and Alliance leaders and spoke. "Let's start with the beginning. How is this invasion even possible? From what you told me of the Orcs, their old homeworld, Draenor, was a dead wasteland, void of life. And the portal you speak of is only linked to that world. How is this possible?"

"That's what we're trying to find out." Said Sylvanas, frustration in her voice. She didn't like being kept in the dark of her enemies and these new Orcs are currently an unknown in all areas that were important. All they knew were they had advanced weapons and vehicles that rivaled the Gnomes and Dwarves in technological prowess. They didn't know where they come from, where their main base was, or what their intentions were and it frustrated her to no end.

'Perhaps we're missing something." Suggested Thalyssra as she looked at everyone. "Is there anything we're missing? Anything that can give us a clue?" That caused a few to hum in thought as they racked their minds for a clue. It took awhile, but Saurfang, the Orc leader, spoke up.

"I think there might be." Said Saurfang, touching one of his tusks in thought. "Spymaster, you said the Orcs that are attacking are brown-skinned, correct?" Shaw just nodded in confirmation. "Hmm…they must be Orcs that haven't been touched to by Fel magic then, but there shouldn't be any Orcs that aren't touched by it. Not in the numbers you're describing anyway." That caused some mumbling some a few others before Tyrande spoke up.

"Wait." Said Tyrande, her eyes wide. "Garrosh is one that isn't touched by the Fel, correct?" Saurfang nodded at that, wondering what she was getting at. "And he had been taken away from the trial in Pandaria by the bronze dragon, Kairozdormu, a dragon capable of controlling time." She then widened her eyes further as the implications dawned her and soon everyone else. "You do not believe that the bronze dragon sent him back to a time before the Orcs were seduced by the Burning Legion?' That caused everyone to look at each other in concern or in thought. As they thought about it more, the more that the theory made sense.

Garrosh always dreamed of an Azeroth dominated by Orcs. He would do anything to achieve that dream as proven by his attempt to revitalize the Old God Y'Shaarj's heart in order to use it for his own gains. Why is time traveling to an alternate time any different from that.

" .Whoa!' Said Courier as he walked up to the meeting, shock in his face. "Time travel!? You serious? God damn, just when this world was insane enough already." He then looked at Tyrande. "Okay, so if Garrosh did time travel and stop the Orcs from turning green, how does that factor in to the portal?"

"It must have taken them sometime to link their own portal with ours." Said Jaina, eyes wide at the implication of them facing a renewed Orc invasion, one that was just as strong, if not stronger, than the one during the first war the people had to face against the Orcs of Draenor. "Could have taken them months, even years, but eventually they would have figured it out and now they're spilling onto Azeroth like a tide in the ocean."

"So, what do we do?" Asked High Elf, hearing all this, and her head was spinning with all this information about time traveling Orcs and portals to other worlds. "How are we going to win?"

"Simple." Said Varian as he looked at the map of the Blasted Lands. "We get people that have fought against these Orcs before." He then looked at Shaw at Jaina. "Find Velen. Tell him to bring his most experienced fighters with him. We need their knowledge of the Orcs of Draenor in order to figure out a strategy." As the two left to complete their assigned goals, everyone wondered how this was going to fare for Azeroth.

* * *

**Blasted Lands**

* * *

"I still can't believe we're after Grom Hellscream." Said Gorl in shock as the group stealthily infiltrated the invading Orcs camp near the Dark portal, where more Orcs and supplies were coming through in a steady pace. At least every hour or so. "He is a legend to the Horde for freeing the Orcs from the demon Mannoroth and we're going to be capturing him like a dog." The thought was a bit upsetting to Gorl, but his god commanded it and he had no choice but obey. If it was any conciliation, they were also ordered to capture Velen of the Draenei as well as Garrosh Hellscream and Gul'dan, all of which Gorl would do with glee. Two for damaging the Orcs race and his pride and the other just because they were in the Alliance.

"What you should be asking is how the heck we going capture the lad." Said Kudius, confusion in his voice. "The lad is dead and you Orcs burned his body. How we going to capture the lad?" Gorl just said nothing as he too wondered this as well. There clearly was more information that was being kept from them.

"Yeah, this mission is strange." Said Derek as he waited for a pair of Orcs to pass before they all advanced to another building to hide. He had hide in Orc-like buildings before and this was no different. "But I want to know is why does N'Zoth's partner want them captured? Why refer to them as prizes?"

"Don't know lad." Said Kudius with even more confusion in his voice. Was the partner a collector? If he was, why is he collecting such powerful and dangerous individuals? Surely there was something better and less time consuming to do collecting. It left Kudius scratching his head in confusion.

"Doesn't matter." Said the spartan as he trudged forward, a UNSC assault rifle in hand as he swept for any Orcs that spotted them. "We have our orders and we have to follow them, no matter how strange they are." The others nodded reluctantly at that, trudging forward, careful to not raise the alarm less they have to fight the entire camp of Orcs. Eventually, the four found a building filled with black stars in them that gave them a good view of the Dark portal while being close enough that they can run without an Orc raising an alarm in time for any to stop them from using it to cross to Draenor. Kudius, upon inspecting them, realized they were explosives and told his team to be careful as a result.

"Okay." Said Derek as he watched as more Orcs steadily came out of the portal, annoyed that was happening as it meant they had to fight these heavily armored Orcs from their front and back. Not good odds for them. "Anyone got an idea to draw the attention of the Orcs here?"

"Don't worry." Said the spartan as he looked at the explosives behind them. "We already got an answer." Upon seeing what he was looking at, Kudius widened his eyes.

"Oh boy." Said Kudius as he gave himself up for whatever crazy plan the human spartan was thinking of doing.

A few minutes later, a massive explosion occurred in the camp, taking a few Orcs passing by the building that the explosives were in as well as one of their massive vehicles. That caused everyone in the camp to be on high alert as they scrambled to figure out what the heck happened. In the confusion, the Twilight Hammer team used that to slip past the Orcs as they traveled to the building that the explosion occurred and entered the portal. Upon arriving, they were spotted by a group of Orcs guarding the other side of the portal. They didn't even have time to react when the spartan fired at them all with his rifle, gunning them all down despite their heavy armor.

Placing several bullets into the dead of the last Orc, the spartan and group quickly ran away from the portal as another Orc convoy approached to enter the portal. By the time they find the bodies, they'll be long gone and to their first objective, Velen.

"What is this?" Asked Gorl as they walked the land that the Dark portal had traveled them to. It a land full of trees and lush grass, much like Azeroth. He thought it was be a barren wasteland much like the Blasted Lands, but no. It was lush and full of life. "This land is ripe with life. Why are my people attacking Azeroth?"

"You think Garrosh is involved?" Asked Derek as they ran, also in shock at the brightness of the land. "Since the papers said that Garrosh is here, you think he persuaded the Orcs to attack Azeroth?"

"It wouldn't surprise me." Growled Gorl. "That Orc cares too much of Azeroth to think of anything else." Kudius just stayed silent as his teammates pondered the reason for the Orcs for attacking. He then looked at his other teammates and asked what they would do if the Alliance and Horde get here.

"We ignore them." Said the spartan. "With luck, we can use them to our advantage. You're free to kill any soldiers that get in your way though." Kudius nodded before asking about a group of strange individuals that had been helping the Horde and Alliance during the battle against Garrosh. He heard rumors about them and wondered if they would come here too. Upon hearing them, the spartan stopped for a moment before advancing. "If they get in our way they die too."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Suramar**

* * *

"I didn't think war would come so soon." Said Thalyssra with a sad smile on her face as she left the room that the Horde and Alliance leaders were discussing war strategies with each other. "Granted it's not the one I thought would come to pass, but still. To have a war so soon is just disastrous." She sighed as Chief came up towards her, having left the others behind to guard the Horde and Alliance leaders and to defuse any arguments between them that gets out of hand, while he took care of Thalyssra. Filling a good amount of comfort with the spartan, she asked what his team would do for this war.

"Stop this new Horde and bring this war to a quick end." Said Chief. "And if Garrosh is involved, we find him and kill him. We spared him once, we won't do so again." Thalyssra nodded at that.

"I feel that is best for us all." Said Thalyssra as she looked at her city in worry. "Do you think that that brute would come for Suramar? He's not exactly one that loves elven architecture. And I've heard his treatment of elves during his reign as the Warchief of the Horde." Chief just stayed silent for a moment, thinking about it before speaking.

"If he is leading this new Horde, then he'll eventually come for you." Said Chief. "From what Jack told me of him during his trial at Pandaria, he hates all other sentient species and wants the world dominated only by Orcs. I very much doubt he'll let your people be left alone once he finds out about your existence." Thalyssra closed her eyes at that.

"I fear as such." Said Thalyssra. She then turned towards Chief with a sad expression on her face. "I've looked into the history of the world after we Nightborne placed the barrier around ourselves. I've read of the Horde and the Alliance. Their constant struggle to remain peaceful towards each other as well as their constant fighting between each other. It astounds me that they continue to bicker and fight against each other after fighting against the likes of the Burning Legion and this Lich King."

"That's just the way the world works." Said Chief. "My government has faced similar problems during the Human Covenant War. An insurrection group continued to fight with us despite humanity being at war with an alien coalition. Some even claimed the Covenant were just UNSC propaganda." Thalyssra frowned at that, unbelieving of such people.

"The arrogance of some people." Said Thalyssra before turning around and sighing. "Though I am one to talk, I allow Elisande to go through with her plan." Curious, Chief asked what plan, causing Thalyssra to sigh before explaining. "In her mind, despite the danger it poses to us if either side finds out, it'd be best of Suramar if we play both sides. Teach them to take the morsels we give them and, when the time comes, betray one when it becomes clear which side will benefit us the most. If war comes between the Horde and Alliance, Elisande will have us choose the one most likely to win and betray the other in any shape or form." She sighed for a third time before looking at Chief, who stayed silent, not accusing her or exposing any sort of anger towards her. It unnerved her greatly, but she refrained from trying to sense his emotions. After a few moments, Chief spoke.

"And you're going along with this, why?" Asked Chief, neutral in his voice and tone. Not accusing her of doing the same with his group or playing with both sides like toys. Just neutral and monotone. Like he normally speaks. Thalyssra twitched her ears in anxiety before speaking.

"I can't rebel her over something like this." Said Thalyssra, beckoning Chief to follow her to the edges of a street in Suramar, one that had a river between it and another street. Looking at the river, Thalyssra spoke. "This is something that benefits Suramar and isn't harmful to either the Horde or the Alliance until war comes. Even if I wanted to deny it and employ a veto, it won't do any good. She has most of the Arcanists supporting her and the majority of the nobles as well. Not to mention the support of most of the citizenship and the Duskwatch. I have, at best, Valtrois, Kel'danath, a handful of other Arcanists, and a friendship with one of the leaders of one of the noble houses. Hardly, something that can make a difference." Chief just stayed silent as he listened. Surprised slightly that the First Arcanist had so few support compared to the Grand Magistrix.

"Why do you have so few supporters?" Asked Chief. "You're the First Arcanist, aren't you?" Thalyssra gave a bit of a laugh at that.

"It's not because people don't respect me, far from it, they just prefer Elisande way of doing things." Explained Thalyssra. "Under her guidance, we not only survived the Burning Legion, but thrived and advanced our knowledge of the Arcane. She may be strict and overprotective of us, but she always places our survival above all else." She then sighed. "Because of that, I see no reason to object to her way of treating both the Horde and Alliance, despite my reservations of it."

"Have you protested it?" Asked Chief.

"Yes." Said Thalyssra, remembering that meeting well. "I was ridiculed for it by Elisande, saying that it was the way things must be for us. We are few in number compared to either faction and she see this as the best way to ensure our survival. I don't like it, but I had to relent." Seeing that Thalyssra was conflicted, Chief spoke up.

"You did the best you could." Said Chief, walking over and standing next to Thalyssra as she learned on the railing. "That's the best-case scenario for you besides getting what you want."

"Is it?" Asked Thalyssra. "I'm worried that this will blow up right into our face and cause neither side to help us when a third party comes to invade us. They might just wait until we're reduced to the dregs before coming to aid us and offering us servitude in exchange for protection and our knowledge. And that's not the only thing I'm worried about. There are multiple ways this could go awry for us and none of them are even remotely appealing." Seeing her hold herself, Chief placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her somewhat before speaking.

"If that comes, we'll help you." Said Chief, gently moving Thalyssra to look at him. He didn't know why he was doing this, but it felt right to do this. "I promise." Looking a bit down at Chief to see his golden visor, Thalyssra bit her lip before asking if they would if Elisande had a plan to use them for her own beliefs. "Even if she's using us, we'll still come for you. Even if my teammates don't come, I'll come and help. I promise." Sensing the truth in Chief, Thalyssra smiled, touched by his words, before placing a finger at his visor and began tracing it with her fingernail.

"Thank you." Said Thalyssra. She was still worried with grief, but it was lessen somewhat with the spartan's touch as well as his words. "It is good to have a good friend like you. One that does not wish to bed me." Chief just stayed silent, allowing Thalyssra to continue. "If you haven't noticed, many have tried to consort me in order to gain more influence in Suramar's politics as well access to my wealth. If not for those things, it's because of shallow reasons like my body." She then waved towards her flawless body with her free hand.

Chief, looking at her body and it's feminine traits, couldn't help but agree. The First Arcanist was quite a beauty. He had no knowledge on what traits attracted Nightborne males to their females, but he knew, somewhat, what attracted human males and Thalyssra had most of those traits. Wide hips, long legs, a pretty face, curvy body, and a firm rear. She had relatively small breasts, but aside from that, she was a thing that most human men would kill for. At least, that was what he could gather during his many combat operations with UNSC personal that weren't spartans and only if some marine decided to argue with another about the perfect womanly body.

"Don't you have Valtrois?" Asked Chief, causing Thalyssra to raise an eyebrow.

"***Giggles* **You think I'm with Valtrois?" Teased Thalyssra, the thought of the two dating was laughable and would have probably have caused Valtrois to vomit. Sensing Chief's being unamused, she spoke. "She's my only friend. We have been friends since we were just mere elflings and have been friends ever since. In fact, one can consider us practically sisters due to how close we are." She then remembered her own family and felt a pang of sadness at never being able to see them again. Chief spotted this and squeezed her shoulder in comfort, something that sent a smile at him again. "Back to the matter at hand, I thank you. You're a good man, Chief. Don't let anyone say so differently." Chief just stayed silent as Thalyssra stopped tracing his visor and took a step back from Chief, who just stayed silent as the two resumed back to watching the river.

"We'll probably be deployed to help the Alliance against this new horde of Orcs." Said Chief as the two stayed side by side to each other. "Are you going to provide some form of assistance?"

"Most likely." Said Thalyssra as she watched the river flow. "Elisande will see this as a golden opportunity to strengthen our relations with the Alliance. She'll no doubt send soldiers from the Duskwatch and some of our Arcanists to help them with this horde."

"Will you be sent?" Asked Chief.

"I do not know." Said Thalyssra with a shrug. "To be frank, none of the Duskwatch have any combat experience. We mainly had to deal with small time criminals and the like. I fear our lack of experience will result in heavy casualties for us." Knowing that experience can make the difference between someone dying and surviving a battle, Chief tried to ensure her that he'll do what he can to help her people survive the battle when he spotted a sudden glint coming from the roof of one of the many tall buildings of Suramar. Instincts flaring up, Chief grabbed Thalyssra and hit the ground hard. Just before a loud crack rang out through the air and the ground where Thalyssra was cracked when a bullet hit it.

Holding her delicate ears in pain at the loud noise, Thalyssra was about to ask Chief what was going on when another loud crack occurred, this time hitting Chief and draining his shields fully. Sensing the danger they were in, Thalyssra raised a barrier of Arcane energy. Two more cracks occurred and two more bullets hit the barrier, disintegrating as they touched the barrier. Those cracks, combined with the First Arcanist raising a barrier, caused any Nightborne citizens to run away in terror or using their magic, if they had any, to teleport out of there and call for the Duskwatch. Gritting her teeth as she maintained the barrier, she spotted Chief grabbing his rifle and aiming at where he spotted the bright light, seeing a fading smoke trail coming from that direction.

"Teleport us directly on the roof of that building." Said Chief as he pointed at the building where the sniper was as another four cracks rang out and Thalyssra felt four more impacts hit her barrier, causing her to nearly break her concentration as her barrier was hit with the force of a truck. Not questioning him, Thalyssra lowered the barrier and quickly teleported them to his destination. Blue circles surrounded the two before they were engulfed in blue light and were teleported to the targeted destination.

Upon arriving, Chief noticed a man wearing, to his surprise, orbital drop shock trooper armor, a UNSC armor kit for one of their most decorated special forces units, and was wielding a UNSC sniper rifle. His surprise quickly dissipated when the man, upon noticing the two targets behind him, brought out a grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it at them.

Any normal soldier would have assumed the grenade was a regular fragmentation grenade and ducked for cover as a result, but Chief, with his sharp eyes, noticed the shape of the grenade to by a cylinder instead of an apple shape, as well as the bright glow in the middle of the grenade, realized it was just a flash grenade and so moved toward the man wearing ODST armor, who whipped out a pistol and aimed it at Thalyssra, who was recovering from both the barrier and the teleportation here.

His instincts kicking once again, Chief quickly closed the distance between him and the man, tossing his rifle on his back as he did so. He then tackled the man, sending them tumbling down the domed roof of the building they were on. Crying out, Thalyssra tried to use her magic to help them when the grenade from before went off, blinding her and temporarily preventing her from using her magic. Which was a bad thing as this allowed the two men to tumble off the roof and towards a street in Suramar.

Needing the man alive, Chief grabbed the man and protected him from most of the impact as they hit the street, cracking it as they hit the pavement, causing nearby Nightborne to cry out in shock as they walking by.

Ignoring any pain that slipped by his armor and his nearly unbreakable bones, Chief quickly let go of the human he was holding and placed him on the ground, wiping out his pistol and aimed it at his helmet while he placed the man's hands behind his back. The man just stayed silent as Chief did this. Once he was finished, Chief dragged the man to his feet and motioned him to get moving. Before he did, however, several Nightborne Duskwatch soldiers came, brandishing swords or magic in their hands. They heard some loud noises nearby and they quickly moved in to contain whatever was causing it.

"Halt!" Yelled one of them, glaring at Chief as he looked at them while still having his hands full with the man that tried to kill Thalyssra and him. "What is the meaning of this?" Needing to explain himself, Chief explained the situation.

"This man tried to kill First Arcanist Thalyssra." Said Chief. "I stopped him from doing so and I'm bringing him in for interrogation." Before anyone could speak skeptically about this, Thalyssra teleported in, having recovered from the flashbang.

"First Arcanist." Said the lead Duskwatch soldier as his men looked at her in shock. "This man claims his captive tried to assassinate you? Is this true?" Looking at Chief in order to figure out who was who, she nodded at the Duskwatch soldier.

"He speaks the truth, soldier." Said Thalyssra, looking at the soldier in order to appease them. "The man he captured tried to kill me along with him. If it weren't for his assistance, I would be dead and this prisoner would have escaped justice." Upon hearing that, the Duskwatch soldiers stood down and looked at both Chief and the First Arcanist.

"Forgive me then, First Arcanist." Said the Duskwatch soldier, looking at Thalyssra as she stood between them and Chief. "What are your orders then?" Thalyssra looked at their captive before speaking.

"Bring him in for interrogation." Said Thalyssra. "We need information and he is the only one that is able to give us that. Be careful though, we do not know what else this man has on his person." The Duskwatch soldiers nodded before walking over and restraining the man in magic. They then took him from Chief, who just went to Thalyssra and asked if she was alright. "I am. That object he threw temporarily blinded me and I nearly fell from the roof in shock, but I was able to collect myself in time." She then rubbed her eyes a bit. "Who was that man? And what was that armor he wielded?"

Thinking it would be a bad idea to not tell her the truth, Chief told her that he was wearing armor of the UNSC special forces unit, the ODSTs. Upon hearing that, Thalyssra looked at Chief in shock.

"Why is he wearing armor of your people?" Asked Thalyssra. A part of her screamed betrayal, but her logical side kept that under control. Chief had protected her from the assassin and that it would be no point in him betraying his best ally on Azeroth at the moment.

"I don't know." Said Chief, honestly. The only suits of ODST armor on Azeroth should be on Torrington Base in the Forward Unto Dawn and Cortana would have protected the island with EDI and BT. Even if a pirate managed to find the island, sneak into it, and find the contents of the Forward Unto Dawn, Cortana would have informed him that a suit of armor was missing so he could ask people to keep an eye out for it. And that's not even bringing up the fact why a pirate would attack the Nightborne when they're not that well known to the world yet. "That's why I also want to know about this man and figure out how he got that armor. And if others have access to it, find them and stop them before they do any damage with them." Sensing the honesty in Chief, Thalyssra sighed and nodded.

"Very well." Said Thalyssra, feeling a bit of shame of doubting Chief. "I will need to inform Elisande of this development so she doesn't blame your team for betraying us. It'd be best if you follow me as well." Chief nodded before he followed Thalyssra. As they walked, Thalyssra turned her head slightly towards Chief and spoke to him. "And to provide you the thanks that is owed to you for saving the life of the First Arcanist of Suramar, I thank you."

"Just doing my job." Said Chief, saying it in the stoic and stone-cold voice that imparted no emotions in it. Some would have been annoyed at his lack of emotions, but Thalyssra found it charming and it caused her to smile.

"Then you are fortunate that I find appreciation in the stoicism that you give around those around you." Teased Thalyssra, a teasing smile on her face. "Some Nightborne would have hated you for being so emotionless."

"Then I'm glad that I'm working with someone like you and not them." Said Chief. Laughing a bit at the attempt of a joke, Thalyssra walked the rest of the way peacefully.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"Are you sure that was the correct way, Overlord?" Asked a dull voice. "N'Zoth will not be pleased with you mind-shackling one of his indoctrinated servants like that. As well as the loss of one of his treasure vaults."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, my friend." Said another voice, this one full of joy and amusement. "He has hundreds of those humans in his clutches and dozens of those vaults. He can handle the loss of one of those facilities as well as the loss of a dozen or so of those humans. But in the case, it goes beyond that, you're certain you erased the contents of the human's mind?"

"All but the ones you desired." Said the dull voice. "No doubt they'll be preoccupied enough with the vault to ensure they won't go to this alternate timeline with this Horde and Alliance. Even if, by some miracle, secure the vault under the predicted time I had some of the Orc commanders that have already arrived here to be mind shackled. Under the pretense of opening another front, our mind shackled puppets will establish a base in the Broken Isles and make plans to sack Suramar. No doubt, this team Sigma will be forced to protect their closets allies lest they lose faith for not doing so."

"Excellent, by the month's end, we'll have new trophies for the galleries. Trophies that are indeed extragalactic and are actually worth preserving." Said the other voice.

"Why you place so much emphasis on your galleries is beyond me." Said the dull voice in a critical way. "You should be focusing on listening to the will of our returned king and not your own urges." Instead of getting angry, the other voice just laughed.

"Have I not said for you to avoid being so tedious?" Asked the other voice. "Be assured, what I do will benefit all dynasties. Especially once I acquire the Titans. The vast cosmic energy they are said to contain should proven excellent destructive weapons for our military purposes once we learn to weaponize them, of course. Now, if that is all over, leave me. I need time to organize my galleries for the new additions I acquire from this venture to this Draenor as well figuring out a way to assist my…, shall we say, business partner while acquiring more retinue for my galleries." The other voice just stayed silent before the sound of metal clashing metal filled the room the two voices were in. "Hm…Perhaps that would…yes. That would do. Oh the coming years will be most exhilarating, if I say so myself."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

* * *

**Suramar**

* * *

"Have you acquired anything from him?" Asked Thalyssra as she looked at the Arcanist in charge of interrogating the man that tried to assassinate her. After the Duskwatch took them away, Thalyssra reported in to Elisande that a human male tried to assassinate her but was stopped by Master Chief, who captured him for interrogation. Though annoyed that someone had tried to assassinate her First Arcanist, she was pleased that her ally saved her and praised him for it, which he just said he was just doing his job. Smirking in amusement, Elisande nonetheless thanked him and said that his deed will be known to the rest of Suramar. After that, Chief left with Thalyssra on how the interrogation was going with the prisoner.

"Since he refused to cooperate, we delved into his mind and acquired information that way." Said the arcanist. "It seems he received orders from someone to assassinate you, but that information is gone from this person's head." The arcanist then looked at the man and spoke again. "We've discovered traces of memory erasing in his mind. It seems, whoever ordered him to kill you, First Arcanist, wanted no ties being connected to them." Thalyssra frowned at that. Who would want her dead? She didn't have any detractors that disliked her enough to want her dead and the Horde and Alliance appreciated her enough that they wouldn't pull something like this. So, whoever did it, was someone she didn't know. Perhaps none of the people of Suramar knew about them.

"That is troubling." Said Thalyssra. "Whoever did this was very skilled in the Arcane." The other arcanist nodded in agreement. "Is there anything else that you have discerned?"

"There is." Said the arcanist. "We've discovered the location from where this men originated from. It's some distance from Suramar, deep within the forest nearby. Shall we send a force to find this place?" Upon hearing that, Thalyssra raised a hand.

"A location? Why would that be left alone?" Asked Thalyssra, frowning at this development.

"It's a trap." Said Chief before explaining. "They left that there purposefully so that you send a force to capture the location. But they want that so they can ambush you and make you bleed for every foot you acquire." Thalyssra nodded in agreement at that.

"Yes, that does seem very likely." Said Thalyssra. "But still, if this man's base is near Suramar, we must capture it. It might be a danger to our people in the future." Chief just nodded in agreement, knowing that she was right.

"Then I recommend sending a small, capable strike team to scout ahead and take it for you." Said Chief. "It'll be less costly than sending a battalion worth of troops to take it. Plus, a small group won't draw as much attention as a large one." Thalyssra and the other arcanist hummed in thought at that.

"With respect, First Arcanist, that seems like a logical approach." Said the arcanist responsible for interrogation. "It is not like we're pressed for time anyhow. And this seems quite well into our expertise in war. Sending a small team to scout ahead should be the best course of action at the moment." Thalyssra nodded in agreement before turning to Chief.

"You've already done much for us by saving me." Said Thalyssra. "But can I ask for you to do it again by being there for us when we assault this base of the assassin? You'll be compensated for your work." Upon hearing that, Chief just shook his head.

"No compensation is necessary." Said Chief. "We also have a stake in capturing this man's base." Thalyssra tilted her head at that.

"It's because of the armor that man wore, is it not?" Asked Thalyssra. When Chief nodded, she guessed what was the reason. "You think he is impersonating one of your soldiers, correct?"

"Yes." Said Chief. "That man wore the armor of one of the UNSC's decorated special forces units, the ODSTs. That armor is both hard to come by and shouldn't be in the hands of anyone in this world." Thalyssra hummed at that. Having seen his mind and the various worlds he's been, she knew that he wasn't from Azeroth and that this UNSC was likely some government that traveled through the stars. Something that her people was thought to be impossible, even with their magic and the height of their empire. To have another race, despite being less skilled in magic and younger than hers, was both intriguing and a bit of a blow to her pride in her people.

"Perhaps he's a traitor to your people?" Suggested Thalyssra. "Someone that left the terrible war you fought in?" Chief then shook his head.

"No.' Said Chief. "Even if that was the case, why would they attack you? Your people haven't done anything to anyone yet. Then there was their tactics. They just kept shooting at us, not trying to get a different angle or leaving once it was clear that they couldn't get to us. And when I confronted and tackled them to the ground, they didn't attempt to do any basic close quarters fighting when we fell. He didn't even react much when I tackled him. ODSTs are suppose to be some of the best soldiers the UNSC has, only surpassed by Spartans. Something isn't right here. I can feel it." Thalyssra hummed at that. Thinking about it, none of this made any sense. Both politically and militarily. There was a crucial piece of the puzzle that they were missing that prevented them from discerning the situation.

"If there are answer to be sought, then it will be in what this assassin calls home." Said Thalyssra. "Give us a few hours and we'll assemble a team of Duskwatch soldiers to accompany your team in raiding this base." Chief nodded at that.

"And I'll get my team ready." Said Chief before leaving. As she watched him leave, Thalyssra felt a pang of worry for him and the people being sent on this raid, but more so for him. Why she felt protective of him was beyond her idea, though she had one faint idea, but it was so absurd that it shouldn't be possible. At least at the moment.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Draenor**

* * *

"So this was the beauty of Draenor." Said Gorl as he looked around him, looking at the trees and grass of Draenor, so full of life and beauty, that Gorl thought that he was on Azeroth again. He heard stories of Draenor of Orcs that had seen it back when it was a vibrant, fertile land. Before Gul'dan came and destroyed it. Having been born on Azeroth along with most other Orcs, Gorl knew that he would never knew the beauty of Draenor like the older generation did. To see it for his own eyes was impossible he thought back then. Oh how happy he was wrong. "I never thought it was so beautiful."

"Aye." Said Kudius, also in awe of the beauty before him. "Makes me wonder if Gul'dan never came into power, the Orcs would have never needed to come to Azeroth." Gorl nodded in agreement as well. Wondering how bright the Orc's future would be if Gul'dan never came into power. Would they have ever found Azeroth? Would they have even formed the Horde? Would they even want to leave Draenor? All these questions formed in Gorl's mind that he didn't noticed the Spartan, their unofficial leader stopping and motioning them to stop as well.

"Look.' Said the spartan, pointing towards a small Orc group, around six Orcs, nearby, with them was a cage filled with a humanoid alien with hooves for feet. Upon seeing the hooves, the Twilight Hammer cult members realized they were Draenei, a race in league with the Alliance.

Long ago, they lived together with the Orcs in Draenor. Surprisingly they lived in harmony with the Orcs for a time, engaging in limited trade, but didn't engage in much conflict with each other. That, however, changed when Gul'dan came in power and united the Orc people against the Draenei and attacked them, essentially creating genocide against them.

What few Draenei escaped fled to Azeroth on a ship of their own make. Those that hadn't died but didn't escape were used as fuel for Gul'dan's magic, which relied on absorbing the life force of things around him.

And here, there were Draenei being taken prisoner for…something. Gorl thought it was something involving Fel magic, but since the land was still fertile and lively, it likely wasn't the case. Whatever it is, that Draenei might give them some insight on what is going on around this new Draenor.

"We should save them." Whispered Gorl as the group stayed hidden from the Orc convoy, watching for any weak points they can exploit. "Not only would they tell us what is going on, they might eventually led us to Velen." The spartan, upon hearing that, nodded, before bringing out his assault rifle.

"Let's do it." Said the spartan. "We'll move ahead of the group and set up an ambush point for them." That caused the group to nod before they moved forward, hoping to ambush the convoy before they link up with more Orcs.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**89 miles from Suramar City**

* * *

"Jesus." Said Courier as he looked around the area that the Nightborne has told them was where the assassin's base was. To the team's dismay, the area was just jagged rocks and a rocky beach that had waves calmly hitting the sand and rocks. When they found nothing, the team contacted High Elf Archer, who stayed in Suramar, much to her dismay, so they can keep communications with the Nightborne, and Thalyssra if the area was accurate as they found nothing. Upon hearing that, Thalyssra told them that the base was hidden and that there was a switch that would reveal the base to them. They just had to find it. "They knew what they were doing in hiding this switch. I can't find it anywhere."

"Same." Said Jack as he looked for the switch with a Duskwatch soldier and Ikit. "I can't find anything here."

"***Sniffs*** Stupid humans hide burrow well." Said Ikit as he sniffed around for the switch and the hidden base. "When we find, I spray musk on any loot I want. Yes-yes."

"If we find it." Said Courier as he looked around the beach for anything out of the ordinary. As he did so, Chief was speaking with Valtrois, who accompanied them with some Duskwatch soldiers.

"When we find this base, let us go in first. We'll swept the immediate area for any potential ambushers and traps. Once we're sure the coast is clear, we'll notify you to come in." Said Chief as Valtrois nodded in understanding.

"Hmph. You have quite the knowledge of battlefield tactics." Said Valtrois with approval. "Very well, just leave some for us. We are eager to fight those that dare to assassinate our first Arcanist." Chief just nodded before looking at the direction where Suramar was. As he did so, he thought of Thalyssra and how she was doing. He didn't know why, but he felt a great deal of emotions for the Nightborne woman. The way she understood him and tolerated his lack of social skills was endearing. Very few beyond his fellow Spartans understood him and Thalyssra was fast becoming one of those people. It was almost shocking how fast he grew to trust the First Arcanist. Cortana made a joke that he was falling in love with the Nightborne woman, but Chief denied it, finding it ridiculous.

He was about to think about it more when Courier yelled out.

"Think I found it!" Yelled Courier before he swiped off the tip of a rock that was sticking out of the rocky beach, revealing to be fake and that it had a button on it. He pressed it and soon, everyone heard rumbling as, to the Nightborne's shock, a part of the rocky beach made way for a series of stairs, wide enough to fit a Warthog in it and still have room for people to walk side by side of the jeep. Looking at the stairs, Courier spoke. "So, who's going first?" Upon hearing that question, Chief brought out his assault rifle and took the stairs down to wherever it led to. "Okay, guess we are." Courier then brought out his own rifle and followed Chief with Ikit and Jack following suit. Valtrois, a bit amused at Chief, looked at her men and ordered them to guard the entrance until their allies told them that everything was safe for them to proceed.

"Lady Valtrois, are you sure we should just stay here and have them go first?" Asked a Duskwatch soldier as he walked over to Valtrois, who raised an eyebrow at the soldier. "Forgive me, but the assassin was going for the first Arcanist of our people, not them. Shouldn't we be in the forefront of enacting retribution against those that attacked us?"

"We are." Said Valtrois. "But our allies also have a stack in this. Apparently, the assassin had the armor and weapons of their nation, meaning they have a stake in this as well. Perhaps even more so than us as something like this would be embarrassing for them if word gets out. Besides, glory should not matter to us, Nightborne. We are above that, right?" The Duskwatch soldier just nodded before leaving the arcanist alone. When he did, Valtrois wondered what Thalyssra was doing right now.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Suramar**

**Thalyssra's estate**

* * *

"I can't believe I'm stuck here and watch over you. No offense." Said High Elf Archer as she paced around in Thalyssra's estate. Thalyssra, herself, just watched as High Elf Archer paced around her living room, complaining about the orders Chief gave her. She was to protect Thalyssra along with the Duskwatch guards that were assigned to guard her after the assassination attempt on her life. Despite Thalyssra's insistence that she was safe and that she didn't need the guards, Elisande refused to listen to her and had the guards placed regardless of the Arcanist's wishes. Thought she was perfectly fine with High Elf Archer due to her trust for the little elf as well as her general curiosity with all members of team Sigma, including Ikit Claw.

Being the patient woman she was, Thalyssra just let High Elf Archer express her frustration with her orders before she spoke.

"I understand your frustration with your team, but don't you think you're the most ill-equipped to deal with the type of environment that they'll be most likely facing?" Asked Thalyssra.

"But I dealt with confined spaces before!" Protested High Elf Archer. "I can help fight whatever is down there. I can…"

'Perhaps." Interrupted Thalyssra. "But tell me, have you dealt with any heavily armed and armored foes before? What have you usually fought?" That caused High Elf to pause and look at Thalyssra, who had a neutral expression on her face.

"Goblins." Said High Elf Archer. "They're little green monsters that loot, pillage, and rape anything of the opposite sex. At least the ones I face." Truth be told, when she discovered the Goblins of this world were not only civilized compared to hers, but respected members of the horde if a bit greedy, was a shock to her. She honestly didn't know how would Orcbolg, who absolutely despised Goblins and saw them as parasites that needed to be exterminated, would react to such a contradiction. He never had to deal with such things as all Goblins in her world, as far as she knew, were monsters with none of their number actually wanting to change the image of their race. "Most of the ones I faced were barely armored and a simple arrow to the head is usually what it took to take one down."

"I see." Said Thalyssra. "Have you done so in close confinements? And have you faced any heavily armored forces in such conditions?" High Elf Archer pursed her lips at that, raking her mind of facing such foes. Aside from that one Ogre she faced with her party in her very first mission with Orcbolg and that Goblin champion, a Goblin the size of an Ogre, on that other mission, she hadn't really faced many Goblins she couldn't take down with a single arrow. And even then, she didn't do much against either opponent, it was Orcbolg that took them down, not her.

"No." Said High Elf Archer with a pout, realizing she didn't have any experience.

"Then that is the probable reason you are here with me." Said Thalyssra. "From what your leader has told me about the armor our assassin has been using, he was using some of the best armor his government can give to it's…special force, I believe he called them. Whether or not our assassin is one of these special forces soldiers, the fact they have it renders your arrows null. Unless they're coated in magic or the tips are made out of a material I have no knowledge on that can pierce the armor of that assassin. There is also the fact we don't know if they have more of those suits of armor at their disposal. I don't know if the training for elven rangers have changed or not, or if your people's training regime is different to the Night elves, but generally we elves fare poorly against heavily armored foes without magic or superior tactics." High Elf Archer just pouted, knowing that she was right. Elves from her world never had to deal with heavily armored opponents much. Even if they did, they usually had support of other, more hardy races, like the Lizard men or humans.

"But still, I hate that they left me here." Said High Elf Archer, pouting like a child. Thalyssra smiled at that. Despite High Elf Archer claiming to be over two thousand years old, she wasn't more mature than that of a young elven maiden in her first few hundred years. Was she sheltered in her youth? "I can deal with any threat that comes to us."

"Perhaps." Said Thalyssra as she got up and went to High Elf Archer, towering the other elf by a large margin. She then led the younger elf to a sofa and sat her down with Thalyssra sitting next to her. "But, the chances of you suffering a mortal wound in that mission is too astronomical for them to risk you going with them. Much as your leader is confident in your abilities and skills, there are times when it's just not worth bringing certain people with you in certain missions. This is one of them." She then placed a hand on High Elf Archer's shoulder. "It's not exactly a fair thing for him to place you in the sidelines, but being a leader means you have to do things that some people deem to be unfair. I understand your own frustration in being left behind, but do not let that cause you to form resentment towards your allies. They are merely doing what they think is the correct course of action." High Elf Archer looked at Thalyssra at that. The words she said were similar to what her own sister would say whenever she tried to impart words of wisdom to her. When she wasn't trying to convince her to give up being and Adventurer of course.

Truth be told, aside from the obvious differences in skin tone and voice, Thalyssra really reminded High Elf Archer of her sister. They both were vastly old and, with it, came tons of wisdom. Both were level-headed and tried to appease both parties. When she heard about what their parents tried to do to get High Elf Archer back, she immediately sided with her sister. As much as she too wanted her sister to come back home and give up adventuring, she wanted it to be by her own free will. Despite her older sister's best attempts, however, their parents refused to budge and High Elf went to her room to cool off, which off course led her to go hunting, which led to her being sucked into a purple portal into this world.

She wondered how her sister was taking it. She must be worried off her mind for her.

"You remind me of my older sister, you know." Said High Elf Archer. "With all your words of wisdom and stuff." Thalyssra smiled at that.

"Oh?" Asked Thalyssra, a bit amused. "Is it a good thing that I remind you of sibling?" High Elf Archer nodded.

"Yeah. She always annoys me with trying to get me to give up on adventuring and staying in the forest to start a family. Or at least be part of the elven guard." Explained High Elf Archer. "But I don't want that yet. I still have friends back home that I want to stay with until the end of their lives." Upon hearing that, Thalyssra smiled a bit in sympathy. She didn't know much of the other races on Azeroth, but she did learn that most lived far less than an average elf, usually by a significant margin. As such, forming friendships with other races would be solemn as the elf would know that, eventually, they out be forced to attend the funerals of their friends because reached the end of their natural lives. She imagined that High Elf knew that, but still wanted to be with her friends regardless.

"You wish to have more fond memories with them?" Asked Thalyssra. "Your friends of other races."

"Yup." Said High Elf Archer. "Even after they die, I, at least, have good memories of them to remind me of who they were and how much they meant to me. Especially one other." Upon hearing that, Thalyssra twitched her ears in amusement.

"One of your friends, you have romantic feelings for them?" Asked Thalyssra, smiling a bit when High Elf Archer blushed, realizing what she slipped.

"N-no, I don't. You just imagined hearing that." Said High Elf Archer. Thalyssra laughed a bit at that.

"It's a bad idea to lie to an elf, young one." Said Thalyssra in amusement as High Elf Archer blushed harder. "Especially one that is skilled in sensing lies with her magic." High Elf Archer, mortified, wanted to deny her feelings, but the look on Thalyssra told her that it would be pointless. Sighing, she looked away from the older elf and pouted, causing Thalyssra to laugh kindheartedly again. "For an elven maiden in her second millennium, you act more on your 6th century." High Elf began to glow like a tomato at that, embarrassed. "Do not be so embarrassed, young one. I will not judge you on your wish to mate outside your race. Such a thing has no sway on my view on you, nor your people." She then placed a hand on High Elf Archer's shoulder. "Tell me about this person you have feelings for. Perhaps I can help with your feelings for them." High Elf Archer bit her lip, looking down, not knowing if she should speak to Thalyssra about her feelings for Orcbolg. No one, but her knew about her feelings to Orcbolg and she doubted it would be a good idea to talk about them with Thalyssra, someone she only knew for a week at best. She trusted her, no doubt on that, but High Elf didn't know if it was a good idea to do her first over her other allies. As if sensing her uncertainty, Thalyssra spoke again.

"If you do not wish to express them with me, I understand." Said Thalyssra. "Such emotions are best to be discussed with those you are certain you can trust. You have only known me for a handful of moons. Even then, we have not interacted much. It would either be a sign of great trust and understanding of my character or a sign of great naivety or foolishness to talk about your feelings with me when you know so little of me." High Elf Archer, looking at Thalyssra, nodded in thanks before speaking.

"Thank you." Said High Elf Archer. "It's just that…I've never really told anyone of these feelings for Orcbolg, the person I love. Even my own teammates don't know. Though I think some of them suspect it. To tell a person I've only known for a few days over people I've fought with and knew for an entire year, kind of messed up, right?" Thalyssra just smiled.

"I can understand that logic." Said Thalyssra, looking at High Elf Archer with understanding. "However, should you ever need someone to speak to about this, I'm more than happy to be that person." High Elf Archer smiled at that.

"You're so much like my sister." Said High Elf Archer. "Just doesn't complain as much about my life choices as she does."

"***Chuckles*** Your sister sounds like a wonderful person. Perhaps you can tell me more about her. In fact, why don't you impart some cultural lessons to be about your people? I'm eager to learn much of your people." Said Thalyssra. High Elf Archer nodded before telling Thalyssra all about her sister and her people and their ways.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Chief**

* * *

"Damn." Said Courier as he looked at the underground base that they had entered. After securing the entrance and motioning Valtrois to come with her group, the Nightborne and sigma group went inside the base. What they found shocked them all. They had initially assumed it was just a small bunker with accommodation for a small group of people. Instead, they got a large military bunker loaded with weapons and armor. Most of it UNSC weaponry and armor kits. They had looked inside several sizable rooms that were loaded with the space faring government's weapons and armor, which made Chief ponder in thought at these implications. "I thought this would just be a small bunker with accommodations for a small group of people. This is a military bunker that had hold a platoon of soldiers or two with all their equipment and the like."

"Agreed." Said Jack as he looked at the bunker. It reminded him greatly of standard issue IMC bunkers, complete with the electronic doors and business like architecture. "Damn, how the hell did anyone build this without anyone knowing."

"The Broken Isles is relatively uninhabited with people that have the know how to find something this well-hidden." Said Valtrois as she inspected the bunker, both intrigued and worried with it's presence. "Aside from the Nightborne, there's hardly anyone here with any sort of intelligence or incentive to find this place. The Fal'dorei you mentioned sometime ago are too deep inland to bother with this beach and it's so far away from their territory they wouldn't care who is here so long as they don't encroach on their territory." Humming to herself at the architecture of this bunker, she looked at Jack. "You know this design?"

"Yeah, it looks like to be of IMC design." Said Jack as he pointed to the walls and doors all around them. "Very little waste of space and extreme practicality of this place indicates it."

"Does this also indicate it?" Asked Chief as he looked inside a crate that he recently opened up, bringing out a piece of metal with a logo on it. Tossing it towards Jack, who caught it with ease. Eyeing the logo, Jack nodded in confirmation.

The logo had the dark blue, upside down triangle with a light blue strip that went across the right corner of the top part of the triangle to the other side, going through two white towers in the middle of the triangle. Below that triangle was the IMC name with a star next to it.

"Yup." Said Jack, looking at the logo with a hint of disgust in his voice. Looking at the piece of metal, Jack realized that it used to be part of a wall, cut off with a laser saw. Judging by the edges, it was sometime ago. "Though I don't understand why this was in that crate. This used to be a part of a wall. Why the hell is it in a crate and not a trash can?"

"Used for spare metal perhaps?" Suggested Courier. "It's what any scavengers or pirate would do if they have access to everything in this base."

"I guess, but that is the case, that leaves this question. How the hell did pirates or scavengers manage to take this entire base from the IMC? A base this size usually has two or three squads of IMC spectres. They're dumb and easy to beat if you know what you're doing, but they should be enough to deal with undisciplined pirates and scavengers. Also, why the hell are UNSC weapons and armor here instead of IMC ones?"

"Don't know." Said Chief as he checked his motion tracker for any movement aside from their own. So far, nothing. "But what answers we're looking for aren't here. We need to go deeper."

"Agreed." Said Valtrois as she looked around, amazed at just how large this facility was. It must stretch a good portion of the beach and inland for it to be this large. "Perhaps it be best if we split up. We can cover more ground that way in a shorter amount of time."

"No." Disagreed Chief. "We're not in any hurry and splitting up just leaves us more vulnerable to an ambush by whatever defenses are here as well as anyone here. We should stay together and find a terminal we can use to monitor the entire facility." Valtrois wanted to argue, but Chief wasn't having any of it, causing her to sigh.

"Very well. Where shall we go?" Asked Valtrois, crossing her arms under her bust. Chief just stayed silent as he began to move forward, out of the room they were all in and to a large hallway that led them to either the entrance way or deeper into the facility. "I'll take point. Follow me." With that, Chief lead everyone deeper into the facility. Unbeknownst to them, a group of people were monitoring them and were preparing an ambush up ahead.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Draenor**

* * *

"Hurry up!" Yelled an Orc warrior as he lead his men from the front as an Orc should do. "I want these prisoners be given over to warden Kelsrit by nightfall! Let's move it!" His warriors grumbled a bit at that, but pressed on, eager to get rid of the Draenei so they can be part of the next group that was invading the world that Hellscream was telling them about. They heard it had plenty of good warriors to fight and was rich with resources that they couldn't find on Draenor. So, many Orcs were hungry for a chance to invade this world and this bunch were no different. Already their mouths were dripping with the anticipation of bloodshed and riches they'll have when they join the forces on this new world.

They were so caught up in this daydreaming, that they didn't notice the makeshift tripwire just above the ground, made out of strong cord. As soon as the first Orc pulled on it, a fragmentation grenade came out of nowhere, hitting the Orc in the head, before exploding, sending shrapnel all over his brain and to the head of another Orc, killing him.

Shocked, the Orcs were too slow to react to the sudden appearance of a fellow Orc, and three people that they have no knowledge on. One was a small, non-Orc that had the height of a child, another had a pinkish complexion and wore leather armor with a hood, and the last wore purple and black armor that completely hid their identity. They surrounded them with ease and began making their way towards them.

The one in metal black armor aimed at the leader of the Orc band and blasted him with some strange device that reminded the Orcs of the guns some of their brothers used, just smaller. The rounds pierced his helmet and send brain matter all over the back of the helmet. As the Orc fell to the ground, the one in leather armor managed to get on top of another Orc and slashed his throat with a serrated dagger on his wrist. The small humanoid one slashed at the legs of a 3rd Orc with a war axe, bringing him down, before embedding the axe into the Orc's skull. Their last companion, the Orc, headbutted his foe, dazing them, before slashing their head off with a single swing of their sword. All this was done in under a minute and before the Orcs could react.

Satisfied with their work, the one in dark armor went over to the cage containing the Draenei prisoner. Now that they were close, they could see the Draenei was she, based on her chest, with blue eyes and white hair. Upon seeing the spartan get close, she backed away slightly from him in fear. Seeing this, the spartan back off and motioned for Derek to take over. Nodding in agreement, Derek went over the Draenei with his hands above his head in an attempt to tell her that they won't harm her.

"It's alright." Said Derek in a soft voice, speaking in the Draenei language, having been taught it by some other cult members as his role as a rogue meant he had to know such things in order to decipher intel from enemy encampements. "We're not here to hurt you. We're here to save you from these Orcs." Despite the reassuring voice of Derek, the Draenei shook her head.

"You have an Orc in your party. Do you know what they've done to my people?" Asked the Draenei in her own people's language. Fortunately, everyone knew what she was saying due to being taught the Draenei language in one shape or form. Understanding her reluctance to trust them, Derek kept trying to gain her trust.

"My friend is not like those Orcs that have killed your friends and family." Said Derek. "He wants the same thing we want. The elimination of those in charge of the Orcs so they can stop their foolish ways. Right, Gorl?" Gorl nodded in agreement.

"Draenei." Said Gorl in the softest voice he can muster. "I know what my people have done your kind and it brings shame to me that we have done so." Gorl then went to his knees, much to the Draenei's shock. "I swear on my honor, I'm not like my deceived brethren. I, with my allies, wish to end this madness and free both the Draenei and the Orcs from the plot and ideals of Grom Hellscream. And such a wish needs your cooperation to be fulfilled. Can we count on your help?" Looking at the Orc in shock, the Draenei female looked between the Orc, then Derek, and then back at Gorl, before biting her lip and responding.

"I…I believe you." Said the Draenei quietly, causing the Spartan to nod before breaking her cage door, allowing her to escape. Once she was out of the cage, she looked at Derek. "Thank you for saving me, however. I can only dread what those brutes would have done to me had I've been taken to their camp. Even if I'm not sure I trust you, you have my gratitude for saving me." Derek nodded at that before asking her for her name. "My name is Yrel. What is yours?"

"My name is Derek. He's Kudius and he's Gorl." Said Derek, pointing to his allies respectively. "He just goes by spartan. He didn't tell us his name yet. So, don't bother trying to ask." Yrel nodded at that before asking what their plan was. "To take down Gorl Hellscream and anyone else that is in charge of the Orcs. You know where we can find them?"

"No." Said Yrel. "But I believe I know who can. If you're willing to follow me, I can lead you to my people's leader." Knowing who she was referring to, the group nodded in agreement, eager to acquire the first of their targets.

"Lead the way, Yrel. Just give us a moment to bring the rest of our gear." Said Derek. "We had to drop some of it behind to save you." With that, Gorl and the spartan left to get their stuff. As they left, they wondered if the rest of their assignment would be this easy.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Vault near Suramar city**

* * *

"God damn." Said Courier as the group entered another large room in the base that contained a large assortment of UNSC weapons from rocket launchers to puny pistols. Judging by the weapon racks on the walls, it was an armory of sorts. "This is all sorts of wrong, Chief. Why the hell does Jack's faction of bad guys have your faction's weapons? And in large quantities to boot."

"No idea.' Said Chief in concern as he glossed over all the weapons. Grabbing a UNSC assault rifle, he inspected the weapon for any clues on it's construction. This was the fifth room that was filled with UNSC weaponry and it left him a bit concerned. He'll have to have Cortana run a scan on some of the weapons here, but he already had a dark feeling that something sinister was going on and he'll have to prepare for it. Taking rifle and putting it on his back, he motioned for everyone to exit and to press on. Once everyone was out of the room, Chief motioned for them to follow him to another room.

As he lead them towards the next room, which was at the end of the hall, Chief's motion tracker began to detect unknowns coming form that room. Seeing this, he motioned everyone to stop and take cover just as the door at the end of the hall opened and several men wearing ODST armor opened fire at the group, using the door to cover their bodies as they peeked out and open fire on the group.

Two Duskwatch soldiers get killed as the soldiers accurately hit their heads before they could get down. Valtrois would have been amongst them had Courier not tackled her to the ground. Once she recovered from the shock of hitting the ground, she casted a barrier around them all, but not before another Duskwatch soldier got shot in the shoulder, throwing him to the ground. With the barrier around them, the group had a brief reprieve from the gunfire, which was sustained for a few more seconds before it stopped, the soldiers seeing that it was having no effect on the barrier.

Sighing in relief, Valtrois looked at her men and grimaced. The two that died had sizable holes where their faces used to be and the one that got shot was bleeding profusely on the ground. A mage was currently attending to him, but aside from those, they were fine. Looking at Chief, who was at the front, preparing his gun, she asked what they're to do.

"I'll throw this at them at the last second.' Said Chief as he brought out a cylinder-shaped object, a flashbang grenade, the same kind used by the assassin, careful to not reveal it to the soldiers attacking them as that would reveal their plan to them. "After that, Ikit would charge right in and kill them as quickly as possible while we lay down covering fire." He then turned to Ikit, who was flexing his metal claw, indicating his blood lust. "Make sure to keep some of them alive, Ikit. We need people to interrogate." Ikit growled at that, but nodded. Chief then turned towards Valtrois. "When I say it, drop the barrier." Valtrois bit her lip at that, unsure of this plan, but nodded, trusting the man who has done much for her people, including saving her friend from an assassin.

With that acknowledgement, Chief activated the object, waited a few seconds, before telling Valtrois to let the barrier go. The moment she did, Chief threw the grenade at the group of soldiers. Upon it reaching the group, the grenade immediately went off, blinding them all, their helmets providing no assistance because they hadn't seen the grenade in time for them to polarize them against the flashbang.

With them blinded temporarily, Ikit went in charging, his backpack spewing out green flames as he surged forward, his halberd at the ready and glowing with energy as well as crackling with lightning. As he charged, he aimed his warpfire thrower at them and let loose concentrated amounts of warp fire at them, dosing three with the Warpstone derived liquid. The men screamed as the warpfire burned their armor before burning their own bodies, causing massive third degree burns and even fourth degree ones as well. As they went down, Ikit crashed into a fourth one, sending him crashing into the ground. He then bared his fangs before biting down on the man's neck. Despite the Kevlar on the soldier's neck, Ikit was still able to bite into the man's throat with his teeth, drawing blood. As Ikit was about to tear the man's throat out, the remaining two soldiers recovered and saw the rat killing their compatriot. Aiming their guns at the rat, they were about to kill him when Chief came and tackled one to the ground while the other was hit with a barrage of Arcane bolts, filling him up with sizable holes all over his body, from Valtrois.

Holding the man in place, Chief looked at Ikit as he ripped the throat of the man he tackled.

"I told you we needed some of them alive." Said Chief, looking at Ikit as he spat out the flesh and jabbed his halberd at the man's face, killing him quickly.

"Not my fault!" Yelled Ikit as he looked at Chief. "You-you fault! You not save-capture enough test subjects fast enough." Shaking his head at Ikit, Chief looked at the man as he struggled against the spartan's grip.

"Your friend certainly lacks finesse, doesn't he?" Said Valtrois as she saw the carnage Ikit did. She winced a bit at seeing the melting bodies of those hit by Ikit's warpfire thrower and the man that had his throat ripped out by Ikit's teeth. Thalyssra was right. Ikit was deranged and brutal in his way of doing things.

"You can say that again." Said Courier as they walked up to Chief and Ikit, the latter sniffing the dead bodies he's slain, particularly their armor and weapons. "Still, he's loyal to us and we won't betray us. At least we think so." Ikit grumbled at that, but didn't speak anything about that comment. The group then focused on the man that Chief captured.

"Moving on, you're going to tell us everything about this base. The attempt on my friends life and how many of you there are." Said Valtrois, glaring at the man, who just glared from his helmet.

"Eat shit, you flat-chested, purple freak with twigs for ears." Said the man in ODST armor. Valtrois glared at the man, knowing what he said was an insult from his tone.

"Shall I enter his mind and figure out what he has to say?" Offered Valtrois, looking at Chief, who just nodded. They didn't have time for a long interrogation and, if there were more soldiers in this base, they were asking to get ambushed by them. Plus, this can prevent them from getting misinformation from this man.

"Do it. We'll keep you covered." Said Chief as he lifted the man to his feet and restrained his arms. "I'll keep him restrained while you do search his mind for any information we can use." Valtrois nodded before going over to the man as he struggled to get out of Chief's grip. The others, meanwhile covered the intersection they were in covered from all sides, ready to tell them to move should they spot any danger.

Placing her hands on the man's head, Valtrois then began the process of searching his mind and extracting whatever she could from his mind. While she was doing this, Chief kept the man in place as he tried in vain to stop Valtrois's attempt to probe his mind. This kept going on for a few more minutes until Valtrois suddenly frowned.

Probing his mind for any information of value, Valtrois frowned as she found that there wasn't as nearly as much information as there should have been. There should be information of how this base was built, who this man was, and who their leader was. But there was nothing like that in this man's head. Just information on the assassin and their mission, the number of people in this base, and it's contents. Nothing else. She couldn't even find traces of memory manipulation in the man's mind, unlike the assassin that tried to kill Thalyssra. Whoever did this, knew what they were doing.

Sighing, Valtrois then placed the man under a deep sleep and motioned for Chief to let him go, which he did by gently laying them on the ground, allowing another Nightborne arcane user to put up a barrier around them until they knew what to do with him.

"It's strange, really." Said Valtrois. "This man only has information regarding this base, it's personal, and the assassination mission on Thalyssra. Nothing else. Including his name and his life beyond his occupation as a guard for this base." That caused Chief and the others to look at her in surprise or shock. To manipulative one's own memories so extensively meant it had to be someone strong in the Arcane, surpassing even Elisande in power. It made a few Nightborne nervous at fighting someone with that much power, but Valtrois calmed their nerves.

"What was the assassination mission for?" Asked Chief. Valtrois just shrugged.

"I'm afraid that information is gone or was never there in the first place." Said Valtrois. "All this man knows is that one of his compatriots was sent to kill Thalyssra. Nothing more." Chief frowned at that, wondering what is going on, before asking about the base and it's occupants. "The base seems to be a military bunker containing advanced communication systems that I have no knowledge on as well as containing vast amounts of your government's weapons and armor. As for the occupants, they number in under a hundred. That's all I managed to acquire from this man's relatively empty head." Chief pondered on this information for awhile. A hundred men they have to fight with just a handful of troops. Not exactly good odds, but odds that he was used to deal with when he fighting the Covenant. And so were his compatriots with him. Though the Nightborne on the other hand…he doubted they'll take too kindly to him asking them to leave this to them alone as it was their Arcanist that was the hit. Plus, they may need the magical support eventually.

Thinking it through, Chief decided what to do.

"Courier, take some people and get this man back to Suramar. Perhaps there's someone that can fix his memory problem. Also, ask for more reinforcements. There is more here than we anticipated." Said Chief. Courier, agreeing with this, nodded and looked at Valtrois, who nodded. She had two of her men go with Courier to escort the man back to Suramar. Lifting the barrier from the unconscious soldier, Valtrois watched as Courier and a Duskwatch soldier lifted the man from the ground while the other Duskwatch soldier, a mage, teleported them all back to Suramar. With them gone, Chief looked at the rest of the people with him and spoke.

"Come on. We got an entire base to clear out." Said Chief as he drew out his rifle. Jack just nodded.

"Good thing we brought lots of ammo." Said Jack as he checked his r201 for any deficiencies.

"Good-good! Many to flay and kill! Yes-yes!" Yelled Ikit with glee, laughing madly. Valtrois shook her head, wondering why fate has her stuck with these people.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Master Chief**

* * *

"Argh!" Yelled an soldier in ODST armor as he was shot in the head by Chief, who shot him with a UNSC battle rifle he had taken from the base, his helmet providing no protection as the bullets pierced through the visor and punctured his forehead, splattering brain matter all the helmet and outside as the bullets went out and hit the wall. As the man fell, Chief took cover as several other soldiers fired upon him, pinning him behind a wall as they fired with their UNSC assault rifles. Seeing the barrage coming at him, Chief looked back and pointed at Valtrois, who was taking cover behind several metal crates with the others

"Do you know a spell that can deal with a situation like this?" Asked Chief. Valtrois just smirked.

"Just observe." Said Valtrois before gathering Arcane energy in her hands. She then made several gestures with her hands before the group of soldiers attacking them were bombarded with bright blue bolts of magical energy, either incinerating them or sending them flying everywhere due to the power of the bolts. One of which was sent flying towards them, hitting the floor hard. Putting a bullet in that one, Chief looked back and saw the corpses of the other soldiers.

"Impressive." Said Chief as everyone got out of cover. "That magic is certainly useful."

"Indeed." Said Valtrois with a satisfied smile on her face. "Much easier to rely on than those weapons you use. Also more aesthetically pleasing as well."

"Looks don't matter as much as you think in war, miss." Said Jack as he walked with Ikit towards Chief, who just stayed silent at Valtrois.

"Please, it does indeed." Said Valtrois. "It shows how sophisticated you are and what your people value more of than other things."

"With respect, function should be a priority over looks, Valtrois." Said Chief. Though a few Nightborne looked annoyed for his comment, Valtrois simply bowed slightly at that.

"My point exactly." Said Valtrois. "You prefer functionality over aesthetics. You'd rather have something that just performs to the best it can give rather than waste effort to making it be a work of art. To make it an ugly, but functional weapon instead of a work of art that can be preserved for future generations to marvel at. A pity and I find such notions to be imprudent and injudicious, I can understand. I don't agree, but I won't allow it to impair my ability to work with you. Well…much anyway." Chief just stayed silent, not giving away his emotions when she said it all. Truthfully, he didn't care what she thought so long as he can work with them well and efficiently. His team, however, were annoyed with it, Ikit growling at what he viewed as elf stupidity and arrogance. Jack also saw it as stupid, but chose not to comment on it with Ikit.

Chief, noticing the annoyance in his team in Valtrois's comment, choose to speak in order to move on.

"That's the fifth team of soldiers that attacked us." Said Chief as he went over to the amount of bodies killed by Valtrois's spell. Counting the bodies, he saw there were eight men. Combined with the ones they fought, that was over thirty men, leaving around sixty or so men left to fight. Looking at the Nightborne, out of the twelve that had been with them, including Valtrois, only five remained, all of them able to use magic. Two had been sent back with Courier to Suramar to escort their prisoner, but three had been lost to battle. They've all been taken down by planned ambushes and coordinated attacks from their opponents. One poor unfortunate soul lost half her face when a soldier shoot at her with a sniper rifle from high ground. The soldier would have taken out more had Ikit not launched a magic missile from his halberd. She had been a Nightborne warlock so that was probably the reason they aimed for her and not the others.

After the 2nd attack had occurred, causing that warlock's death and another, this one a soldier with just proficiency in blades, Chief told Valtrois to send back all her magic null soldiers as they wouldn't be effective against the foes they were facing, something Valtrois reluctantly agreed and so had a warlock sent them all back to Suramar. Before they did so, Chief also advised Valtrois to send a message to Thalyssra and Elisande that they should make a new training regime for the Duskwatch that was designed to fight against opponents that fought in varying distances with weapons that were either slow firing but powerful or weapons that weren't as powerful but high rates of fire. He also mentioned to advise making a regime against foes with heavily armored vehicles. While he didn't expect them to face any tanks in this base, he knew that it wouldn't hurt to make a regime against them or other similar armored vehicles. There was also the fact that this base seemed to have been here for quite awhile and was stocked filled with weapons from the UNSC and with no damage and in pristine condition too. While he had little to no proof that there were other bases out there with similar armaments and size to his base, his base instincts told him that there were and that he should prepare his allies to fight against a true modern army. Should one face them that is.

"Indeed. I had hoped we can deal with them all in one swift strike, but if this keeps happening, I'm afraid we have to stop soon. My people are starting to get exhausted from casting barriers and spells against our foes. I can still fight, but I don't think it's a good idea to keep moving on. We need to rest." Said Valtrois, looking at Chief, who just looked back at her. He then looked back at Jack and Ikit. They both were exhausted with Ikit leaning on his halberd and panting furiously with Jack leaning on a wall for support. He looked at the elves and saw they were of the same status as everyone else. That left him and Valtrois as the only ones that were not exhausted. Knowing just how dangerous it was for them all to fight with exhausted troops, Chief agreed.

"Take everyone back to Suramar. I'll press on and continue by myself." Said Chief. Upon hearing that, Valtrois widened her eyes in shock.

"You're facing around sixty soldiers by yourself?" Asked Valtrois in disbelief. She had heard stories of sole elves facing entire legions of enemies, ranging from demons to other races, but they always had magic on their side and they were stories from either fictional novels or children stories, meant to instill awe towards their people and nothing more. A single soldier with no magic on his side against seventy or so soldier by himself sounded suicide. Granted, this Master Chief was one of the most skilled non-magic users she's seen and he could face them all one at a time or in small groups, but this still seemed suicidal. Even more so when the enemy decides to go against him all at once. Valtrois stared to protest but Chief made his mind and began walking away.

"I've done this before." Said Chief, recalling his time facing impossible odds before against the Covenant and later a parasitic race called the Flood all by himself. And he always came out on top. "Don't worry about me. I'm used to this type of thing.' He then looked back at Valtrois. "If you want, you can send reinforcements after me, but I advise against it. They could have set ambushes against them and this place is a maze without a way to map the entire base." Valtrois became exasperated at him before he spoke again. "I'll come back, I promise." With that Chief began to walk away, leaving them alone.

"Foolish human." Said Valtrois, shaking her head at that stubborn armored human being. She then looked at Jack and Ikit, who looked back. "Is your leader this arrogant and overconfident?"

"He can deal with it." Said Jack, exhausted from fighting so much. He had to admit this ODST armor was tough to deal with. The damn chest plate was able to endure an entire clip from his R201 and still held against ten more bullets from it before it broke. Then there were several grenades that he had to dodge one after another in the last fight. Combined that with all the other previous fights, which were no less exhausting, left him exhausted beyond belief. Right now, he wanted nothing more than find a soft bed and sleep in it. "He told stories of him facing entire platoons of soldiers by himself or with just a small team of other similar skilled and able soldiers like him. And he's not the type to exaggerate, Valtrois. I trust he won't fail us."

"He good killer. Yes-yes." Said Ikit as he went over to a body wearing ODST armor before dragging it back to the group. "He not stupid-stupid. He fight-kill all foes. Yes-yes." Sighing at their confidence, Valtrois then began to teleport them all back to Suramar, both to get her allies some rest as well as to inform Elisande and Thalyssra about Chief's advice.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Shadowmoon Valley**

* * *

"This is where the majority of my people live now." Said Yrel as she lead the Twilight Hammer cult team to the Shadowmoon Valley, where the majority of the free Draenei reside in. "After they destroyed our great city, prophet Velen has us all relocated here. It's defensible enough that the Orcs still haven't breached our defenses. Though an Orc clan is still attempting to breach our defenses." The team just nodded as they walked in amidst the Draenei temple that Yrel claimed that Velen was stationed most of the time.

It was a massive temple with equally massive spires that jutted out from the main building. Massive walkways led up to the temple. The various blue crystals on top of the spires glowed brightly as if welcoming the team. It was a beautiful temple. A shame that they had to take the Draenei leader when the time comes.

As they walked, various Draenei looked at them in wonderment, likely wondering why Yrel was leading them to the temple that their leader Velen was currently residing in. Some glared at the Orc that was with them, but refrained from doing anything to him, trusting Yrel.

Being the chosen apprentice of Velen, Yrel had the trust of many Draenei and so they believed these beings were to be trusted. That being said, they wondered where they came from if they are here to help them in their plight against the Orcs.

Eventually, Yrel led them inside the massive Draenei temple, allowing them to see it's interior, which was filled with Draenei architecture that the team had never experienced before. Derek and Kudius were impressed with it all, Gorl didn't care and so did the Spartan, but they all remained focused on their task as Yrel led them to Velen, one of their targets.

It had been decided by the group that Velen would be the last of their targets to claim. If they could trick the Draenei into believing they were on their side, they could catch Velen without much difficulty once they acquired enough trust from them for the Twilight Hammer team to take him without having to fight Velen himself. For all their power, they stood no chance against Velen, who was skilled in all manners of magic. So, it was best to take him without having to fight him. Plus, they could use Draenei cannon fodder when they're going after Garrosh, Gul'dan, and Grom to imprison them in their large, impractical guns.

After a few more minutes of walking, the group arrived in a large observatory where a very old Draenei was speaking with Draenei warriors that were tasked with defending their remaining homes from the Orcs. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was Velen.

"Prophet Velen!" Yelled Yrel as she bowed in front of Velen as the group made their way to the Draenei war council with the prophet in charge of it all. "I bring good news. I found allies to help us in our plight against the Orcs." Humming in thought, the old Draenei that was the Twilight Hammer team's target looked at the individuals Yrel brought along with all other Draenei in the room. Gazing them all in an effort to figure them all out, Velen stroked his massive beard before speaking.

"May I ask your names travelers and why you come here to help us in our time of need?" Asked Velen.

"As well as telling us why this damn Orc is with you?" Demanded another Draenei as he glared at Gorl in distrust and disgust. Gorl glared at the Draenei but refused to do anything, as he knew that would not end well for any of them. Velen rebuked the Draenei before asking his question again.

"We're here from the world that the Orcs are currently invading. I take it you've heard of the Orc invasion?" Asked the spartan, looking at Velen, who was a bit unnerved with the design of his armor as well as the power of the void emitting from him. He knew the Void and it's corrupting influence. It was a dangerous weapon to use and can lead one to lose themselves if proper care is not applied to handling such corrupting power. However, Yrel trusted them so he was willing to give them the benefit of doubt, especially the Orc as he knew that there were still Orcs that rebuked the Iron Horde, the amalgamation of most of the Orc clans into one being. Given this Orc was with a group of non-Orcs, Velen guessed he was part of this small resistance group of Orcs.

"I have seen visions of the Iron Horde attacking another Horde. Using knowledge they've acquired from the Burning Legion to accomplish this." Said Velen. "They've used a great deal of my people to fuel the gate." Upon hearing that, the Orc growled in disgust, something that Velen didn't fail to catch.

"I see.' Said Derek, stepping in. "Prophet Velen, if we may be so bold, we need more information on this Iron Horde. How they came to being and how is in charge of them. We also like to know how they acquired knowledge from the Burning Legion without being used as pawns or show signs of being corrupted. We have some knowledge on the Burning Legion thanks to powerful sorcerers on our world. Enough to tell us that there are signs of one being used by the Burning Legion, yet this Iron Horde doesn't display them. Can you tell us why?" Velen gauzed at them again, wondering what their agenda is, before telling them what he knew.

"Yes, you are correct." Said Velen. "I don't know how much you know of the Burning Legion, the Burning Legion did indeed attempted to use the Orcs for their own agendas. To destroy this world as they've done to countless others. They acquired a pawn that managed to unite most of the Orc clans under his banner and it seemed he was in the process of turning the Orcs to the service of the Burning Legion. However, something happened. I do not know what, but the Orcs rebelled and killed the Burning Legion envoy and exiling their pawn and his loyal followers. They then created the Iron Horde and began making technology they've never had the knowledge to create before. They then used what gifts the Burning Legion gave them that won't corrupt them to construct a portal that'll lead them to another world, yours." The Twilight Hammer team nodded at that.

With this information, they've figured out what happened. Garrosh must have escaped from the Horde and Alliance's clutches, traveled back in time, and warned the Orcs about the Burning Legion's deception of the Orcs as well as giving them advance technology that'll advance their weaponry and armor way beyond to what they should have. That must have been what happened. They've heard that Garrosh escaped with the help of a bronze dragon. How they didn't know, but that knowledge was enough to convince them that this was what happened.

"Prophet Velen, we were sent ahead of our world's armies to deal with the Iron Horde. They've killed many of our people and we wish to stop them before they kill anymore. If you can help us do this, we'll be grateful." Said Derek, causing Velen to hum.

"It seems we have a common enemy then." Said Velen. The Twilight Hammer team nodded. "Hmm…I will consider a potential alliance. In the meantime, I have an assignment that might prove your worth. A clan of Orcs with the Iron Horde have been harassing our people. I've seen visions of them doing great harm to our people if they are left to their own devices. I ask you to stop them by any means necessary. Do this, and my people will welcome you all warmly as well as sway my council to work with you." That caused the Twilight Hammer team to nod.

"We will do it." Said Derek. "Show us the direction of these Orcs and we'll take them out for you." Velen nodded at that before ordering Yrel to take them towards the Orcs. Once they were gone, Velen frowned.

"**These beings have traces of the Void on their persons'." **Thought Velen in slight worry. **"I've seen people use the void while keeping themselves sane, but most cannot handle such corrupting power. I must figure out these beings and what their future role is."** With that Velen left the war room to his best military minds. He needed to ponder the future again.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Thalyssra**

* * *

"***Laughs*** She really slept with him naked in order to heal him?" Asked Thalyssra as High Elf Archer told her stories of her world and her adventurers in it. Some of them were horrifying, especially the one about Goblins raping any female they come across, but most were happy and had the First Arcanist laughing at some of them.

"She did." Said High Elf Archer with a smile. "Since she was a virgin and also wounded, we thought she would be the better candidate to heal Orcbolg up. The miracle required a virgin in order to work and for them to be completely naked and touching the body of the wounded individual. Turns out the miracle worked and it healed them both up. Not even a scar on them all. Well except Orcbolg. He's got plenty of scars all over his body for his struggles against Goblins. His well-structured. Hunk of a body." Upon hearing that last part, Thalyssra smiled a bit.

"I imagine you were jealous that this priestess girl was the one that slept with your crush over you." Said Thalyssra with a smirk, causing High Elf Archer to blush. Much as she wanted to deny it, she was indeed a bit jealous of Priestess for sleeping with Orcbolg. Heck, even then, she was a bit jealous, despite her teasing nature at them for it.

"I guess.' Said High Elf Archer. "Though I doubt she didn't mind. I think she wants him as well."

"Oh?" Asked Thalyssra, intrigued at this. "A little quarrel over a man, is there?"

"I guess." Said High Elf Archer. "In fact, I think there are several woman that want Orcbolg for themselves. Mostly humans." She then described them all to Thalyssra and it caused Thalyssra to purse her lips in amusement and some shock.

"My." Said Thalyssra, her ears twitching in amusement. "This Orcbolg must be a rare kind of man to acquire the hearts and attraction of so many women and not take advantage of them. Especially this priestess."

"Yeah." Agreed High Elf Archer. "He doesn't really look us like women, really. More like good comrades at arms than anything else. And also not Goblins as well." Thalyssra giggled at that.

"I wish there was someone like that in the ranks of Elisande's courts and the noble houses." Said Thalyssra. "That way, there might be someone worth settling down with and having a family." High Elf Archer tilted her head at that.

"I guess you've had undesirable people try to court you." Said High Elf, having similar experiences when she was growing up. Despite her being young in elven standards, she was still sought after by her generation as she was quite beautiful like her sister. Many noble families have tried to marry their son off to her, but she refused them every time, mainly because she wasn't interested in them, but also because some of them were unsavory people that she refused to have a family with. She recalled one close call by one stubborn elfling that her sister stopped and had punished for assaulting her sister, but aside from that, they handled the rejection well.

"Indeed. Many have tried to court my hand for lecherous purposes. Fortunately, I've seen their intents, despite their best attempts to hide it, and denied them every time." Said Thalyssra, recalling all those detestable Arcanist and nobles that have tried to court her hand during royal banquets that she had to attend due to her status as First Arcanist or parties that Elisande had to organize for special holidays and the like. She suspected that, if it weren't for her powers in the Arcane, rivaled only by Elisande, she would no doubt have been forced into marriage by a nobleman that wanted a carrier for his child or a trophy to flaunt over his rivals, nothing more. The other Arcanists and nobles, she just wasn't interested in. She had dates before, she would not deny that, but none of them ever came up with positive results. Either Thalyssra found they were not compatible enough for marriage or Thalyssra did not find any romantic feelings for her chosen date to begin the process of starting a relationship. The latter critic was something that caused her to be teased by Valtrois as her being a hopeless romantic, but it was something that she held onto because of a promise she made to her father and mother to marry only a person she truly loved.

It wasn't just because of the promise though. With them gone, along with the rest of her family, she wanted to have a good family legacy with her having children proud of both of their lineages. Not just one. And that would be easier if the parents loved each other deeply. It also helped that Thalyssra wanted a man that she could impart with her deepest secrets and trust to keep them as well hold her when she needed a shoulder or chest to lay on, whether it was from her being upset or stress from her work as Arcanist to Suramar.

"So, you're still a…" High Elf started before clasping her mouth, realizing the rudeness of her question. Knowing what she was going to say, Thalyssra smiled.

"Yes, I'm indeed." Said Thalyssra. "I've never actually slept with a man nor had one inside me. Though, to be fair, Valtrois also hasn't one inside her as well. She's quite picky when it comes to suitable partners for her, you know." High Elf Archer nodded, still ashamed at her bluntness and tendency to talk first without thinking, something Thalyssra sensed. "It's alright, little elf, I'm not offended. Truth be told, your bluntness and tendency to ask embarrassing and rude questions, at least this one, is quite refreshing compared to what I have to deal with in Elisande's courts."

"You talk negatively about Elisande's courts a lot." Said High Elf, noticing that. "Do you like Elisande?" Thalyssra frowned at that, unsure if she should tell High Elf Archer about such things. She trusted the young elf, that was not in doubt, but to tell her about the Arcanist's personal feelings towards Elisande and her policies seemed a bit too far. If it was Master Chief asking this, she would be more than happy to tell him, but she wasn't sure if High Elf Archer.

"I don't know if I should tell you this." Said Thalyssra. "This is a rather sensitive topic." High Elf Archer sighed at that before nodding.

"Understood." Said High Elf Archer. "Sorry for asking." Thalyssra just smiled a bit at that.

"No need to be apologetic, young one." Said Thalyssra. "In time, I'll tell you of how I feel about Elisande personally. Until then, it's best to not speak of this." High Elf Archer nodded before changing the subject.

"So, hypothetically, if you were to date or mate with someone, what traits do they have to have?" Asked High Elf Archer, causing Thalyssra to purse her lips in thought.

"They must be brave." Started Thalyssra as she complied her list of wants for a mate. "Kind, understanding, willing to discipline their friends or family if they did something wrong, but perhaps most importantly, be willing to have a family with me. Not out of prestige or a wish to continue one's bloodline, no. Just out of a simple wish to start a family and nothing more." High Elf Archer smiled at that.

"Long list, but a family requires it." Said High Elf Archer, causing Thalyssra to nod.

"Indeed." Said Thalyssra. Before they could continue this conversation, a sudden teleportation in Thalyssra's own home caused the two to look at the people coming out of the portal, which was Valtrois, Jack, and Ikit. Seeing them but not Chief, Thalyssra asked where he was.

"He's at the base we found." Explained Valtrois. "Fighting what soldiers we haven't encountered inside." Upon hearing that, Thalyssra widened her eyes in shock, stunned they would just leave one man to handle taking a base full of soldiers. She then asked for the details, which they provided in full. Both Thalyssra and High Elf Archer were shocked to find just how large the base actually was, filled with many weapons of UNSC making. Thalyssra, in particular, was horrified to learn that Chief had to deal with around sixty or so men on his own. Despite Valtrois assuring her that the human was confident he can deal with them all and so was she, Thalyssra wasn't so sure. Worry was plainly evident on her face as she implored if he suffered any injuries prior to them departing him.

"***Snarls*** Stupid elf-thing." Said Ikit as he saw her worry, disgusted with it, but somewhat intrigued as he had never seen an elf-thing be so worried for another being that wasn't their own. "Worry make you weak-pitiful. Make people want to kill-slay you." Upon hearing that, Thalyssra glared at Ikit. Before anyone could even act, she sent a small Arcane bolt at the rat, hitting him in the stomach. It wasn't anything life threatening, but it did cause him to be sent flying out of the estate and into the lake, where he made a big splash upon landing. Shocked, everyone looked at Thalyssra as she lowered the hand responsible for the bolt.

"Thalyssra.' Said Valtrois, stunned to see her friend do that. She always was so calm and collected that she thought that she would never do such an act like what she just witnessed. Even the few times she's lost her temper, she was calm and collected. Never did she use her magic against others, even at the worse of times. "That was…so contradictive for you to do." Thalyssra, realizing what she just did, placed a hand to her mouth in shock and horror.

"I…I'm sorry." Said Thalyssra in genuine regret. "Quickly, we must save him."

"I got it." Said Jack before running off to save Ikit, who was currently splashing around in the water, trying to lift his head up to breath, his armor making it difficult for him to keep afloat. A splash was then heard as Jack jumped in to save Ikit and drag him ashore. As this was happening, Valtrois looked at Thalyssra, still in shock at what she just did.

"Thalyssra, that was rather…forceful for you to do." Said Valtrois. "Are you…okay?"

"Yes, I…I believe I am." Said Thalyssra as she crossed her arms underneath her bust. "I do not know what overcame me. The rat was insulting me over being so worried for Master Chief has caused me to just…react." High Elf Archer and Valtrois, upon hearing that, rose an eyebrow collectively. A few seconds passed before the two figured out what was the cause of the outburst and caused High Elf to smile deviously while it caused Valtrois to look at her friend in worry.

"Thalyssra, have you…developed an attraction to the one known as Master Chief?" Asked Valtrois, causing Thalyssra to widen her eyes in shock. Stepping back from her friend, she opened her mouth to speak, only to find that she couldn't say anything to deny Valtrois. Closing her mouth, Thalyssra looked at Valtrois, unable to speak, causing the other Nightborne Arcanist to sigh. "Well…that is certainly ill-boding for you. Elisande will not be pleased about this at all, Thalyssra." Before Thalyssra could protest, Valtrois spoke again. "Let's just get back to the Master Chief and getting him assistance so that you can stop worrying for his person." She then turned to High Elf Archer and asked her where Courier was.

"Not sure." Said High Elf Archer. "I've been here with Thalyssra for quite a while and we've been here in this estate for all that time. He's not with you guys?"

"He left sometime ago to escort a prisoner to our jails." Explained Valtrois. "The prisoner, for some reason had a massive amount of his memories missing. The only things he had were the number of personal in that base and the assassination on you, Thalyssra. Nothing relating to his personal life or who he was. It's quite strange and fascinating. Although also quite disconcerting as well." Thalyssra, upon hearing all that, wondered this entailed as well. This man also had the same problems as the assassin? If so, why would someone do such a thing? It made no tactical or moral sense to do something like this. Sure, it prevented the taking of intel from a prisoner, but to go this far didn't make much sense. Both morally and tactically. The only reason she could some up with doing something like this was the one that did it was unnecessarily cruel. The fact that there was something that willingly did actions like these left Thalyssra a bit uneasy.

"Then we must find him and have him assist his leader." Said Thalyssra. "It may not be too late to assist him in dealing with those soldiers."

"He may be discussing important information with Elisande and our interrogators.' Said Valtrois. "Perhaps we should…"

"No, we can't wait." Interrupted Thalyssra, looking at Valtrois with slight annoyance. "Our ally is in potential danger at this very moment and very moment we waste puts him in more unnecessary danger. And Courier is our best chance at giving him the assistance he deserves." Valtrois, ears twitching, sighed and shook her head. She mumbled something so quiet that even elf ears couldn't pick it up before speaking louder.

"Very well." Said Valtrois. "Let's go find Courier and get him to help out his leader."

"I'm coming too!" Yelled High Elf Archer, getting close to Thalyssra. "I'm supposed to guard Thalyssra, after all.' Valtrois shrugged at that before Thalyssra teleported them to where Courier was most likely at.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Master Chief**

* * *

Chief, meanwhile, was currently under fire from around ten soldiers wearing ODST armor. He was behind an armored crate that the weapons of the soldiers were unable to shoot through. Unfortunately, they had him pinned under the amount of fire they were putting out. And he couldn't move without subjecting to himself to massive amounts of fire from the soldiers. Two of them had large caliber sniper rifles with them and it only took two shots from those to take him down. Even a Spartan can't survive a shot from standard UNSC sniper rifles if they hit a vital organ or torso. And there was no other viable piece of cover he could use to give him cover that he could reach without those snipers aiming for him and firing.

Reloading his assault rifle, Chief was amongst corpses of soldiers that tried to flank him while he was pinned. They used standard military tactics in order to get to him. They had their allies keep him pinned while they went and tried to flank him. They tried to use their grenades to flush him out, but Chiefj merely threw back at the enemy when they landed near enough to cause him harm. They then tried to flank with around four soldiers, but Chief killed them all when they came at him, though there were a few close here and there, including a bullet that went through his leg. Biofoam, a UNSC coagulant agent meant to allow a soldier to trudge on with life threatening injuries or stabilize them until proper medical help was given to them, was applied by his suit so he was still capable of fighting at one hundred percent.

"**These guys know what they're doing."** Thought Chief as he thought of ways to get out of this situation. **"They're not expertly firing their guns, making sure they don't overheat. Overlapping fields of fire. And clear usage of cover. Either they're deserters of the UNSC or someone has been training locals proper military tactics."** Not knowing which is worse, Chief decided he needed to end them know so he can get more answers.

Grabbing the last of his grenades and those he looted from his dead foes, he tossed three at the soldiers, pins out and at the last moments before detonation. Upon seeing the tossed grenades, the soldiers tried to leave, but the grenades went off as soon as they went near them. Though only two of them died to the grenades, they were disoriented enough that Chief moved out of cover and charged at them.

Prioritizing the ones with the sniper rifles first, Chief fired a burst at the one that was close to revering, expertly placing several bullets in his throat, where the armor was at it's weakest. Even as the man fell to the ground with his hands at his throat, Chief fired at the other guy with the sniper rifle as he, fully recovered, was about to fire a shot at Chief. All the bullets hit the man's visor, breaking it and placing several bullets inside his head.

By then, the rest of the soldiers recovered and saw that Chief was right on top of them. Dropping their rifles, they grabbed either their pistols or knives and charged at Chief.

His instincts and reactions times kicking in, Chief dodged the first swing of a man's combat knife before grabbing said man and used him as a shield against a load of bullets coming his way from three soldiers. His armor held against the bullets for awhile, but several bullets went for his neck, which was only minimally protected, and the bullet went straight through it and hit Chief's armor. Fortunately, his shields protected him from them.

While this was happening, Chief was shooting at two soldiers that tried to pounce on him and drag him to the ground with their combined weight. Dodging away from their attempt to dogpile on him, Chief pumped on full of lead with his assault rifle while moving away from the other soldiers.

Tossing his meat shield away, Chief reloaded his rifle as the rest of the men began to reload their guns or charging at him with their knives. Catching one as he attempted to stab him, Chief broke his arm, causing him to drop his knife, before he went and broke his neck by slamming him down to the ground in an angle.

With three more men dead, he fired his reloaded rifle at the rest, firing bursts at each of the men into weak spots in their armor. One man fell to a sustained burst to the neck as he was about to open fire on Chief. As he was going to the ground, the rest of the men opened fire on Chief.

Shields holding, Chief killed one more before seriously wounding another. It was then that his shields broke and allowed one to nearly place a bullet into Chief's face hadn't the Spartan tossed a knife, which went into his throat, preventing him from taking the shot. Now the ones remaining, were holding combat knives or on the ground, hands to their wounds.

One man still standing and up against a Spartan II, he did the only thing that he thought would work. He brought out a grenade and ran up to Chief, shocking the Spartan at this action. Fortunately, he recovered quick and grabbed the man. Twisting his arm to the point that bone was showing at the elbow, Chief watched as the grenade fell to the ground without a pin. He then kicked it away and went to the ground with his hostage. Once it exploded, sending debris all over them, Chief turned the man to face him and placed a pistol at his visor.

"Who are you?" Demanded Chief, looking at the man wearing ODST armor. That stunt he pulled convinced Master Chief that this wasn't a real soldier. No sane UNSC soldier would ever pull a stunt like that, especially an ODST. The human just scoffed.

"I won't give you anything." Said the human. "The master prohibits it." That caused Chief to process this information with a hint of surprise. Okay, so there was clearly some person in charge. And based on how this man referred to them as master, it was either someone with an ego problem or someone that just uses it as a title to conceal their identity. Whoever it is, it's someone with vast amount of resources to have something like this, immense magical prowess that put the most skilled mages he knew to shame, and the ability to bring people from other universes to this world.

That also left him a question, why did they do it? And how were they able to do it? He wasn't a scientific expert, but it didn't take a genius to know that such feats required a mastery of technology or magic far beyond anything he knew. Even the ancient Forerunners from where he came from. And he'll have to ask Thalyssra, but he was fairly certain that even the Nightborne would deem such feats impossible. He'll need to ask around, but he got a feeling that he wasn't going to like it.

"Who's this master?" Asked Chief, causing the man to laugh.

"I will not betray him." Said the man with such conviction that Chief took notice. Clearly this master was someone that can inspire great loyalty in his men or had access to good hypnotic technology or magic. "He is one worth following over the corrupt and decadence that is the UNSC." That caused Chief to look at the man in slight surprise. So this used to be a soldier of the UNSC. If so, what caused him to turn traitor. The man must have known because he laughed again. "I found a master worthy of my loyalty. One that promises to never abandon me like the UNSC did at Harvest at the beginning of the war." Upon hearing that last word, Chief, this time, nearly froze in shock. This man was from Harvest? Before it fell to the Covenant? If so, what was going on? Before Chief could process this, he suddenly heard the sound of multiple grenade pins being pulled off and looked to see the man had a string of grenade pins in his remaining good hand. Instincts kicking in, Chief got away from the man and ran away, sprinting to cover just in time for a large explosion to occur where the man was. Once he was certain everything was clear, he looked back and saw nothing remain of the man that he can use to identify his identity. Sighing, Chief counted the number of men he killed and found he killed around twelve men. That left only twenty more left to go.

It was strange, they weren't trying to use their superior numbers on him and were just going in at around a dozen or so men at a time. Why was that? Was all this just a way to waste his time? If so, then why? All this just screamed trickery and deception and Chief believed that something or someone was doing this to prevent him and his team from participating in the fight against the Orcs invading Azeroth. If that was the case, why would they do that?

All these questions, including the ones about what that man said, left Chief so confused and wondering what all this meant. Before he could figure out what to do, a sudden teleportation behind him caused him to turn around and aim his gun at whoever was teleporting in. He almost opened fire when he noticed that it was Thalyssra, flanked by Courier, High Elf Archer, and some Duskwatch soldiers. Upon seeing them, Chief stood down and walked up to them.

"Is there something going on?" Asked Chief as he looked at everyone. Upon seeing Thalyssra, however, he noticed that she was glaring at him.

"What were you thinking? Going off on your own." Asked Thalyssra in annoyance and slight anger, glaring at the Spartan, who just stood stoic at her question.

"Everyone else was exhausted and in danger of dying if they continued forward." Said Chief. "I was the only one that was capable of fighting without much difficulty. So, I ordered them all back while I continued on forward."

"So you decided to just continue fighting over fifty soldiers by yourself instead of waiting for reinforcements?" Asked Thalyssra incredulously, not believing that Chief would risk his life so much against a force that knew he was still around.

"If I did that, they would have reinforced and we would have had more difficulty in snuffing them out." Said Chief. "It was a calculated risk to my health. One that I did many times before. There's no need for concern." Thalyssra just continued her glare at him.

"How could you be so callous with your own life?" Demanded Thalyssra, she knew that Chief was perfectly willing to sacrifice his own life for the sake of completing a mission, but she didn't think he would take it this far. "Don't you care about your own life? The sake of those that rely on your leadership to keep them together?"

"I do." Said Chief. "But I also don't want them risking their own lives more than they need to. If Jack and Ikit continued fighting, they would have suffered a fatal injury from these soldiers. So would your own people as well. So, I sent them back as a result. Wouldn't you do the same?"

"I would." Admitted Thalyssra. "But I also wouldn't be risking my own life when it's clear that there are better alternatives than going off on your own to face a force that severely outnumber your own force composition. What if they captured you and hold you hostage? Elisande would not even bother trying to stage a rescue on you as it would be a sign of weakness on the Nightborne part, forcing your people to operate on their own to rescue you. You might have caused the situation to become worse."

"Perhaps." Said Chief. "Or the situation would have become worse if we hadn't acted the way we did. They would have dug in or called in reinforcements and that would have caused even more casualties for our side than if we acted immediately."

"You don't know that." Argued Thalyssra.

"And neither do you." Said Chief, still stoic, annoying Thalyssra. Normally she would be fine with it, but this occasion, she was annoyed with it. As the two continued to argue, Courier and High Elf Archer were going back and forth between Master Chief and the First Arcanist of Suramar. The Duskwatch soldiers guarding the perimeter, though some of them had small smirks of amusement as they overheard this argument.

"They are acting like a couple alright." Commented Courier as he watched the two argue. High Elf Archer nodded in agreement as they continued to argue.

"Yeah." Said High Elf Archer. "Perhaps, we could set up a date for them like we did Jack and Vereesa?" Courier nodded at that. No doubt, Cortana would be pleased to hear this and would scheme with them to set Chief up for a date. It'd be quite interesting to see how the Spartan would react to all this scheming behind his back as well as actually going on a date. The guy was essentially a machine in terms of expressing himself, so it would be interesting to see how good he'll be in a date that requires to express himself. But first, the situation at hand.

"Look, we can continue arguing back and forth on what we should have done." Said Courier, bumping in before the situation could escalate. "But we got a massive base to clear and sweep for intel. Boss, got any info for us that we could use?"

"There is." Said Chief. "If what Valtrois acquired from that soldier is accurate, there are only twenty soldiers or so left in this entire facility. That's not counting any combat drones or turrets that may be here." Courier nodded at that.

"Well, we're here now." Said Courier before brandishing his assault rifle. "Let's go and take down the rest." He then turned to Thalyssra. "Look, you two can continue this conversation later, but we need to keep wiping these guys out. So, can you hold it off until it's done?" Thalyssra sighed at that before nodding. She then noticed that Chief was wounded and pointed to it.

"One of the soldiers shot me there while my shields were down." Said Chief as he looked at the biofoam covered wound. "I got a clouting agent that should keep me going for a few more hours. There's no need for concern." Thalyssra frowned at that, but said no more, other than she'll look at it once this situation was over. She then left the two men to talk with her soldiers. Once she was gone, Courier bumped Chief's shoulder with his own.

"She's quite a woman, eh man?" Asked Courier, looking at Chief behind his helmet, a grin on his face. "Don't blame her for chastising you, man. She's only looking out for you."

"I know." Said Chief. "But the situation called for it."

"I know." Said Courier. "I ain't arguing with you on what should have been done, but I feel like it's not because of her principles that made her argue with you. I think it's something more. Catch my drift?" Chief knew what was Courier thinking and the idea was beyond ludicrous for him. The First Arcanist falling for him? Ridiculous. Though a part of him was pleasantly surprised to hear that, a larger part, the logic part, said that it would never to be. For one, his duty to the UNSC was first and foremost on his mind. There would be no romance between them while the UNSC still held. Then there was the fact that Spartans weren't suppose to be romantically attached to anyone. They could bonds of comraderies with each other or other soldiers, but romantic relations were off limits due to it potentially jeopardizing one's focus on a mission and that was something he can't allow to happen. So, he'll have to discuss this with her after they dealt with this mission. Speaking of it, he had to tell Courier what he just discovered.

"I have some information that you need to know." Said Chief. "Something everyone in our group needs to know."

"What is it?" Asked Courier. Chief then told him what he gleamed from an interrogated soldier before he blew himself up, including his own theories. Once he was done, Courier was looking at him in shock. "So, you mean to tell me that soldiers from a planet of yours is here as well? And they're being lead by a guy named the Master?"

"Yes and it concerns me." Said Chief. "Courier, the conflicts on Harvest were, at the latest, was twenty-one years ago from where I came from. And that man claimed to have been abandoned by the UNSC on that planet. Granted, he could by lying, but what if he's telling the truth, the implications would be groundbreaking." Courier nodded at that. This was all much to take in. They needed answers. Both on how these men got here and how they were able to pull off teleporting from one universe to another. They needed answers.

"You think we should ask the Nightborne or even the Horde and Alliance for answers? Maybe they have some of the answers we need to figure out who this master is?" Asked Courier. Chief nodded at that in agreement. Even if they didn't, they needed to know. If soldiers from twenty years ago were here, then there was no telling how many other soldiers from different stages of the Human Covenant war were here. And if this master had access to space worthy warships…then they were in big trouble.

"We'll talk with them once we secure this base." Said Chief. Courier nodded before the two went to High Elf Archer, who was checking her arrows, slightly worried that she would be facing heavily armored soldiers and that none of her arrows were capable of puncturing said armor.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Alternate Draenor**

* * *

"So," Started Derek as the Twilight Hammer team were looking at each other, making themselves comfortable in the large room the Draenei had gifted them during their stay with them as they prepared to go on a mission to deal with an Orc tribe that had been giving the Draenei some trouble for sometime. Normally, they wouldn't have bothered, wanting to focus on simply getting their targets and go back home, but they needed the trust of the Draenei so they could get close to Velen and capture him. When they said these Orcs use the Void, however, the group saw an opportunity to gain some more allies here. "How are we going to get these Orcs on our side?"

"Simple." Said Gorl. "We show them that we also use the Void as them and that we serve an Old God. No doubt, that'll cause them to listen to us and allow us to explain the glorious our master seeks."

"How do we do that, though?" Asked Kudius. "We ain't got the void powers our mages have. And I doubt just because they use the Void, means they're going to work with us."

"Then we show our master to them." Said the Spartan as he brought out a small, fist-sized crystal in the shape of an eye and was embedded into a small pendant. "Before we left, Farthing had given me this pendant. He claims that it will allow us to speak with our god should the need arise." Upon hearing that, the other three in the group looked at the pendant in awe. They all heard his voice and power when Farthing revealed that N'Zoth has spoke to him and want them to follow him and the Old God himself spoke to all gathered to prove it. And all of them wanted to hear it again. "We just need to show this pendant to the tribe, call N'Zoth, and we'll have new allies for our cause."

"As an insurance policy and a way to gain a chance to get to Grom, and Garrosh." Said Derek. "If we get these Orcs on our side, we can use them to get close to either Grom or Garrosh, claiming they captured us here, on this side of the portal. And then we use our guns and capture either of them." Kudius nodded in agreement at that plan.

"Aye, it be a good plan." Said Kudius. "What you think, Spartan?" The Spartan just nodded at that, willing to do whatever it took to accomplish their mission.

"We'll be leaving in a few hours." Said the Spartan. "Make sure you're ready for a fight just in case."

"We're always ready for a fight." Said Gorl as he readied his weapon with everyone else. The Spartan nodded at that before thinking up of ways to both secure their objectives and to further please N'Zoth's partners. He met them, or rather their servants, once, and the Spartan knew they were needed to solidify N'Zoth's victory against the people of Azeroth as well as gaining his own agendas. Agendas that benefit only him and him alone. In order to gain…satisfaction. Satisfaction that can only be achieved through the suffering of a single person, perhaps death as well.

"**John 117."** Thought the Twilight Hammer Spartan before getting some rest for his upcoming mission.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

* * *

**Unknown location**

* * *

"Oh those Orcs. So vigorous fellows. So full of life. So eager to die in battle like the brutes that they are in the name of… honor. ***Crackles in amusement.*** So unlike the Orcs from where I come to know. And also unlike them, they lack the brute strength they have. And that fool of an Orc claims they are the superior race." Said a metallic, masculine voice as it crackled in amusement. He heard of the Iron Horde being pushed back by the Horde and Alliance forces. Despite both sides still distrusting each other over Garrosh's rule of the Horde, which lead to war, they begrudgingly worked together to stop the new incursion of Orc warriors from an alternative timeline. Though he did note that the races with the most hatred against each other, the Forsaken and Worgens for one, kept out of each other's site and weren't in the field together, something that amused him.

As much as the figure enjoyed the defeat of such vigorous and delusional fools such as those in this Iron Horde, he cannot let them be defeated yet. According to those filthy rats he employed as his eyes and ears, the Alliance and Horde are pushing the Iron Horde back to the Dark Portal. Once there, they'll use it to invade this alternative Draenor that the figure was interested in collecting trophies from and defeat the Iron Horde in their homeworld, denying him some trophies he wanted to acquire, mainly Garrosh, his father, and Gul'dan. And that was something the figure cannot allow. So, he had to delay that actions and he knew just how to do it.

"**N'Zoth will not mind too much if I…collect some individuals and reduce some Alliance and Horde armies to dust to delay their inevitable victory against the Iron Horde."** Thought the figure before putting said plans to delay the two superpowers in motion, cracking in amusement as he did so.

* * *

**Twilight Hammer team**

**Alternate Draenor**

* * *

"There they are." Said Yrel as she looked at the Orc war tribe that had been sent by the Iron Horde to do them harm. From the visions of Velen as well as actionable intel retrieved from Draenei resistance fighters, these Orcs were from the Shadowmoon tribe. Orcs that used the Void against the Draenei and were now deployed to drive them away from the Shadowmoon Valley and rid of the Draenei once and for all. Velen had received a terrible vision that the Orcs will use an ancient artifact called the Dark Star against the Draenei. He foresaw it destroying them and being used after to destroy Azeroth if the Orcs succeeded. Needless to say, they needed to stop it. Which is why the Twilight Hammer team, they still hadn't figured out a name for them to use, were here with Yrel. To stop that from happening.

Unbeknownst to the Draenei, however, the Twilight Hammer team was planning on speaking with the Shadowmoon clan, show them their god, and convince them to join their cause of freeing N'Zoth, allowing him to shape Azeroth in his own image. If they listened, they gain more soldiers and allies to their cause, possibly even gaining this Dark star artifact for their own usage. If they didn't, well they'll just work with the Draenei and wipe these Orcs off the face of the planet.

"I count at least over a hundred Orc fighters." Said the Spartan, using his helmet's built in visor to see how many soldiers they have to deal with. It wasn't as good as a true scope, but it worked well enough.

"You should expect more." Said Yrel, looking at the large camp that the Shadowmoon clan had assembled to prepare for their assault on the Draenei's final home in Draenor. "Light, they must have brought their entire clan here. How are we to win against all of them? We have, at best, a few dozen fighters with us."

"We're not going to attack yet." Said the Spartan. "We're just performing recon. Trying to pinpoint weaknesses we can exploit in coming battles with these Orcs. Right now, it's suicide to fight them with what we have. But if we can find weaknesses in their weapons, tactics, and general behavior, we can use that to our advantage. It may not cause us to win, but it'll give us a better chance of winning." Yrel, having no knowledge of military tactics, just nodded, understanding what he was saying.

"So, you're saying we're just performing scouting?" Asked Yrel, causing Derek to nod in confirmation. "But what if the Orcs unleash the Dark Star soon? Far sooner than what Velen believes them to do so. What then?"

"If that happens, we sneak in the base and try to stop that from happening. Even sacrificing our lives in order to prevent that danger Velen speaks of will happen if that Dark Star is unleashed." Said the Spartan before looking at Yrel. "That's the purpose of soldiers, Yrel, to sacrifice themselves first and foremost so that civilians like the people back at that temple don't have to die. It may sound unfair, but that's what you get for signing up in this profession. You understand what I'm saying?" Yrel, remembering back to all those people back at the temple, those that aren't fighters, nodded in agreement. She didn't want them to die and if she had to die to prevent them from dying, then so be it.

"I understand." Said Yrel. "But, like you said before, we should give ourselves advantages, yes?" The Spartan nodded. "Then I believe I know a good spot to set up a good defensive position for us to take when the Shadowmoon clan attacks. It should help us in better fighting them." The Spartan nodded at that.

"That is good." Said Spartan. "As a smaller force, we have to take every advantage we can get in order to defeat the much larger force. Derek, take Yrel and map out this position. We'll need it for the battle to come." Derek nodded at that before taking Yrel, leading her away from the three other Twilight Hammer members. Once they were certain she was gone, Kudius spoke.

"Well, now that lass is gone, what say we go down and speak to the clan leader of these Orcs." Said Kudius. Gorl nodded at that.

"I remember the Shadowmoon clan." Said Gorl. "They were the clan of astrology and communication. They lived in harmony with the Draenei before Gul'dan came. Their leader was one that wanted a united Orc people, something similar to what the Draenei had. Something Gul'dan used to bring them under his fold. It saddens me that they're under the command of another bastard that is using them. Garrosh will pay for all this."

"We will." Said Kudius, placing a hand on Gorl's shoulder, the Orc was on the ground like the Spartan, allowing the Dwarf to do this. "We'll give that bastard what is coming to him." Gorl nodded in appreciation before looking at the Spartan, who nodded.

"You'll get your vengeance." Said the Spartan. "But to achieve it, we must get these Orcs to work with us. Let's hope our master is able to convince them to join us." The other two nodded at that.

"If we want this to succeed, we need to sneak into the camp and speak to the Shadowmoon leader, preferably not killing any Orcs along the way as well." Said Gorl. "You have a plan, Spartan?"

"Always." Said the Spartan before looking at the base camp again, trying to determine the best entry point for them.

* * *

**Meanwhile  
Azeroth**

**Chief**

* * *

"God damn." Said High Elf Archer as she sat on top of a crate as she basked in a job well done. They had just killed the last of the soldiers here, allowing the Nightborne and team Sigma to move in and began plundering the base for it's contents as well as acquiring whatever intel it had on who this master is and who built it in the first place. "That armor is no joke. I barely managed to kill one of them, even with my strongest arrows."

"That armor was built for UNSC special forces, designed for vacuum and for heavy duty combat. If it can't protect anyone from a simple arrow, it's either a fake or a fault of the manufacturer. No offense." Said Chief as he waited for a Pelican to arrive, containing Cortana so he can input her into this base's systems. The AI will certainly expediate their attempts to strip this place of any information it had, which was needed as he wanted to get in on the action against this new Orc horde that was threatening this planet. The Horde and Alliance have pushed them back to the blasted lands, where their only way of transportation from here to whatever place they call home was located in. It was heavily guarded so they needed to combine their forces in order to take it without one side from sustaining too many casualties, something both sides didn't want for them, but welcomed for the opposing side, so they combined forces, no matter how much it made some sneer in disgust.

"None taken." Said High Elf Archer as she scratched her head in frustration. "Think I need something stronger to make my arrow heads now. Maybe enchant them with magic?"

"Perhaps we can assist in that avenue." Said Valtrois as she made her way towards the group. She had just been discussing on what to do about this base with Thalyssra and they both agreed to have it seized for the Nightborne and team Sigma. It's an extremely defensible position, a good distance from their home in Suramar, but not too far away to not provide assistance should Suramar come under attack, and it's loaded with intel on those that tried to kill Thalyssra. Why wouldn't they take it for themselves? Of course, they'll share it with team Sigma, who had done most of the work, saving many Nightborne from their deaths at the hands of these heavily armored soldiers. Magic worked fine against them, but their common blades were woefully inadequate. Steps must be made to remedy that immediately. And Valtrois had just the answer for that situation. "We can provide you such magical enhanced arrows as well as many other things if you allow us two things." Chief, upon hearing that, knew what the two things were.

"You want us to train your soldiers in dealing with soldiers that have similar equipment to those that we faced recently." Said Chief, causing Valtrois to nod. "You also want this base for your own ends as well."

"Indeed, we do." Said Valtrois, happy that this Master Chief knew what the Nightborne, what Elisande, wanted. "You'll have shared ownership with us in this base, it's only fair for all the assistance you've provided us in the past, but we also request that you help train our soldiers in dealing with those wielding, what you call them, guns. We've suffered over a dozen deaths at the hands of those weapons, deaths that could have been easily prevented has we been better prepared for them. So, we ask you to train our soldiers against similar equipped foes. You'll be properly compensated for your efforts should you accept." Chief looked at his compatriots, who nodded.

"I don't see why not." Said Courier. "They're our allies, we should help them in something that won't bite us in the ass too much. Besides, we don't know how many of these mates are here in Azeroth or how well equipped they are. It's in our best interests to help train them in ways that effectively deal with soldiers with firearms and tactics that are similar to our own." Chief nodded in agreement at that. It wouldn't really hurt much to teach the Nightborne in the ways of the UNSC military or how to deal with firearms. Though, they need to learn and understand their full capabilities in order to create and effective training regiment for the Nightborne specifically as they have abilities, both physically and magically, that put them above standard humans and even Spartans that requires a different form of training for them, doing such a thing will also help them understand their allies' capabilities, which will help them in the long run in other joint operations such as this. So, Chief nodded and asked Valtrois when she would like these training regimes to start.

"As usual, we'll have to make a proposal to Elisande about it. If she doesn't deny taking it into consideration, which she might do, it will take sometime in her courts, who can also advise her to deny or accept the idea, to decide if it's worth it or not. All this might take a week or two for Elisande and her courts to either decline or accept the idea of a new training regime for our soldiers." Explained Valtrois, causing Courier to groan. Politics. Always troublesome for people like him.

"Perhaps I can help speed things up." Offered Courier. Time was very much against them as they didn't know if these soldiers had more allies in large numbers and he wanted as much time as he can to train them in proper tactics against such high equipped soldiers. "You saw me in action during the whole tree debate. I can do the same in this situation." Valtrois pursed her lips, pondering his words, before nodding.

"Well, it will not hurt to try. For an outsider, you know well the ways of politics as well as using your words as an effective weapon." Said Valtrois. Courier just shrugged at that, knowing it was true.

"Just have me with you and Thalyssra when you make this proposal to Elisande and I'll do my best to make her see reason." Said Courier.

"We will summon you when we need you." Promised Valtrois. "Firstly, however, before we discuss further of this base and it's occupants, I must ask your leader a question." That caused the three Sigma members to look at Valtrois in surprise. "It's about him and my friend, the First Arcanist. So, if you two will please leave us." Courier and High Elf looked at Chief, wondering what he'll do. Chief, not seeing any harm, just nodded and motioned for them to help out other Nightborne in the base. So, with some reluctance, the two left, leaving Valtrois alone with the Master Chief. Once they were gone, Valtrois led Chief to a small room that gave them some privacy. However, to make sure that others will not be overhearing their conversation, Valtrois put up a barrier over them. With that done, she looked at Chief, who stared stoically at her.

"Is there a problem between me and Thalyssra?" Asked Chief, though he knew what the issue was. Valtrois sighed at that.

"I'm afraid there is." Said Valtrois before explaining. "It seems that Thalyssra has developed feelings for you." Causing Chief to blink in surprise. When asked how she came to this conclusion, she spoke about the incident with Ikit, to which she quickly added in that Ikit was fine when she sensed he grew shock and angry at that. She then told him of what Thalyssra did when she asked if she held feeling for him, to which Chief could only shake his head on. Great, he was going to break the heart of a woman now when he's going to deny her anything between us from going further then friendship. "***Sighs***As much as I'm happy that my friends has finally found someone she's interested in to create a family and continue her lineage, I'm afraid there will be some problems if she chooses you as a mate." Chief, though he didn't intend to start a relationship with Thalyssra pondered what the problem was.

"And that being?" Asked Chief. Valtrois sighed at that.

"It's Elisande." Said Valtrois. "She's not exactly a very…tolerant woman. She, while helped in the rebellion against our corrupt queen long ago, has the traits typical of the highborne back during the Night Elf empire. Arrogant. Looks down upon the lower classes of our people. And does not have a high opinion of other races. She had banished or killed a great number of Arcanists and nobles for having either affairs with a member of the lower echelons of our empire or for trying to uplift the younger races. She will not appreciate her First Arcanist having a relationship with a younger race. She may work with you, but it's only because you provide some worth to us without much in return." Chief, having suffered such people in the military before, couldn't help but shake his head at that.

"So, she'll either kill or banish Thalyssra for being with me?" Asked Chief, disapproval in his voice. "For just having feelings for me?"

"Only if she acts on them." Clarified Valtrois. "Although she is quite popular amongst our people so I doubt she'll banish Thalyssra. Maybe send her to fight those Orcs invading Azeroth and assassinate her there, perhaps? No matter what she does, however, I implore you to talk with Thalyssra about her feelings and to tell her to ignore them and to find someone else to love. No matter how much it hurts her."

"You don't want her to be in love?" Asked Chief. Though he planned to deny Thalyssra these feelings for him, he didn't actually expect Valtrois to support it. The question caused Valtrois to look at him incredulously.

"Of course not!" Yelled Valtrois, glaring at Chief. "What kind of a friend will I be if I don't wish for her to be happy and living a tranquil life with someone she loves? ***Sighs*** But, at the same time, I don't want her to die because of said emotions. In a perfect world, I would support and encourage her to follow those feelings for you, but Elisande is in command and she holds more sway than Thalyssra does. And Thalyssra is needed for the benefit of our people. She's one of our best politicians and looks our for the safety and wellbeing of all classes of our society. It will be a great shame for us all if she dies. ***Sighs*** So, as much as it pains me to do so, I ask you to deny Thalyssra what her hearts desires." Seeing the pleading look on Valtrois' face, Chief nodded.

"I was planning to anyway." Said Chief, causing Valtrois to look at him in surprise. "Courier told me that Thalyssra was in love with me or at least hinted at it. As much as I suspect he wanted me to accept her feelings, I can't. A Spartan's duty is to the UNSC only. They can't form relationships with other beings, even those within the UNSC's jurisdictions. To do so hampers our ability to protect the UNSC's interests, people, and to complete any task assigned to us. What if that person we formed a relationship with was captured by the enemy or is danger by them? Should we risk our teammates, the mission, maybe even the entire UNSC for that one person? The mission we Spartans take are the type that, if we fail, can costs millions, even billions, their lives. And we may throw those lives away because we choose to help that one person to us over all of them. That's why I can't form a relationship with your First Arcanist. I can't take the risk that I may throw away a mission just to save her from harm. Would you?" Valtrois, shocked at all what she just heard, used her magic to sense if Chief was telling the truth. To her shock and disbelief, he was, making her wonder what kind of battles and wars this UNSC had to deal with in order to put this man through such important missions. After thinking about it, Valtrois decided she didn't want to know.

"So…when will you do it?" Asked Valtrois, looking at Chief in slight fear at what she all heard from him.

"Soon." Said Chief. "I just hope that Thalyssra can take it."

"She can." Said Valtrois. "She's strong and can wither a great deal of things. Plus, she will understand your position greatly. She'll put the interest of our people over her own feelings as well. However, I feel quite horrible and ashamed for requesting that you do this for our people's betterment. For ten thousand years, I've seen Thalyssra reject the advances of other nobles and Arcanists, either due to their own faults or she does not find them suitable for her, and when she finally finds one that she wants to form a relationship with, it is one that will both cause problems for our people as well as someone that cannot afford to do so. Or rather does not wish to risk it in fear of what he will do when she is in danger." Chief just nodded at that, agreeing with Valtrois a great deal. With that done, she released the barrier and allowed Chief to leave, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"**I'm very sorry Thalyssra."** Thought Valtrois. **"But unless Elisande is either voted out of office or killed, you can't be with that man. Even then, it's quite slim with him."**

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Jack and Ikit**

* * *

"Stupid elf lady! She pay-die for this!" Yelled Ikit as he shook his head to get rid of any excess water from his fur, spraying everything on the beach both he and Jack was on. Unfortunately, there was still some water left in his suit that prevented him from using any of it's base functions. Well he can, but unless he liked to blow himself up, he couldn't. Making him essentially useless until it's all completely dry. And even then, he had to check everything in his armored suit to see if the water did any damage to it's fragile internal systems, which he can't do until he was back at Torrington. As a result, Jack requested Cortana send a transport to Suramar so Ikit can do just that. It'll be awhile until it arrived so until then, the two were laying the beach near Thalyssra's estate.

"I mean, you kind of pissed her off by saying those things, man." Said Jack as he looked at Ikit spray water everywhere, including himself. He pilot suit was wet as well, but unlike Ikits', his suit can still function even if wet. "You kind of deserved it, in my opinion." Ikit growled at that before looking at Jack with his beady green eyes.

"If purple elf thing can't handle words then she no-no fit being leader. Yes-yes. Words are true." Said Ikit as he clenched his metal claw hand. "One must be firm-strong and ruthless to be good leader. Yes-yes. Must be willing to sacrifice underlings! Must let them die-die without much thought. Yes-yes. Can't let pity overtake or rivals be using it against you. To sneak-kill you. Yes-yes. That is Skaven way." Upon hearing that, Jack widened his eyes in shock. Though he was angry with what Ikit was saying, he was more surprised at how convicted he was in saying his words.

"How common is this way of thinking? That it makes you think pity or mercy will cause rivals to use it against you?" Asked Jack, not accusing Ikit or anything. Ikit, upon hearing that, tilted his head before speaking.

"All Skaven! All Skaven have this smart thinking. Yes-yes!" Yelled Ikit. "We smart people. We know how world works. From birth. Yes-yes. We know that only strong survive and thrive in world and that weak only exist to serve strong in all ways. Yes-yes. We also know that strong can easily be taken down by weak if allow emotions to get in way of being strong. If strong ones show pity or other weak emotions, underlings or rivals will use that against them to sneak-kill them. Then take what belongs to them, so it becomes theirs'. Yes-yes. Strongest Skaven leaders know this. That is why they leaders. Yes-yes." Ikit then turned to Jack. "Understand? World not like stupid stories of pink-things or elf-things. World is ruthless. Uncaring. Only existing for the strong and the weak. And that it constantly challenges both to look-see if either deserve change of position or stay of position. Yes-yes." Jack, upon hearing all that, sighed in sadness. As much as he wanted to be angry at Ikit, he could see that, within his eyes, Ikit truly believed in his ideals. Not because he choose it willingly, but because it was the only thing that he knew. The only way that can keep him alive in a world where everyone was out to kill you and take your wealth and power for themselves. It was very sad, really. And was probably why he didn't speak about this people that much. He probably thought they'll be disgusted with his people's way and oust him from the group and in such an foreign land with no allies and no permeant place to call home, that was a death sentence. Something that Ikit knew very much.

"No friends amongst your people? No people that believe that pity isn't a weakness?" Asked Jack. Ikit laughed out at that.

"Silly human." Said Ikit. "All Skaven selfish and only look out for themselves. Yes-yes. From birth, as said, we fought each other for food and room. We fight-kill siblings over such precious resources. We fight fellow clan rats for food and recognition. We sabotage work of colleagues to make them be punished-killed or to make them look bad so we look better. Always this happen. Always. No, what you call friends, with Skaven. Yes-yes. Only lab rats, backstabbers, and food amongst Skaven people. Yes-yes." That caused Jack to be even more sad about Ikit. Having no friends and always certain that people will backstab you or kill you will leave you very bitter and cynical about the world. Jack could attest to that, having seen good friends become hollow shells of their former shells after their homes and loved ones were killed during the war between the Militia and the IMC. Except for Ikit, it was much worse. It was done at birth for him, after all. It made Jack wonder if Ikit could change for the better. Or if he even wanted to change for the better. He didn't know how old the rat was, but he was clearly old enough to make him dead set on his ways being the best course of survival. Still, he was going to try as, despite himself, he grew to trust and like the rat, seeing him as a good ally and perhaps friend. A crazy and psychotic friend that will kill you with their experiments in brutal ways, but still a friend.

Jack was about to speak again with Ikit, trying to help him see another way of thinking, when he suddenly heard the dull thud of boots crashing into the sandy beach they both were in. It caused Jack to look around, finding the source to be a bunch of humans wearing black clothing on them. Further inspection on them revealed to Jack that they had decaying flesh on what skin he could see, meaning they were Forsaken. The humans, three in total, stopped before the pilot and rat before speaking.

"Greetings, Jack Cooper." Said the leader, her raspy and dry voice being somewhat heard to listen to, but Jack listened regardless. "I have a message from the Banshee queen. She wished to speak to you regarding something." Upon hearing that, Jack rose an eyebrow.

"What is it that Sylvanas wants of me?" Asked Jack. He didn't do anything wrong to her. Nor did the team for that matter. What does she want with him? If it was assistance for the Orc invasion, then he was all for it, but he had a feeling that it wasn't about that.

"She will not say." Said the Forsaken leader. "All she asked was that you return with us to the Blasting lands, where she will speak with you on matters that she claims are best left between you two." Jack, a bit nervous at hearing that, wondered if it was about him and Vereesa. The two were dating and had planned to do another one after this whole Orc invasion was contained and it was clear that neither were needed to deal with it. She told him that Sylvanas was aware of it from her last letter to her, but so far, she hadn't received a letter indicating how she felt about it. So, with the evidence that he had with him right now, he could guess it was about him and Vereesa. Gulping internally, Jack knew he had to go. Sylvanas, according to…well everyone he talked to about her, she was not one that liked it if she was denied. And had a very terrible temper on those that deny her summoning. Given that and his want to be on her good side, as she was the sister of the woman he was dating, Jack knew he had to go with the Forsaken.

"Alright." Said Jack. "Let's go and meet Sylvanas." Nodding at that, the Forsaken motioned Jack to follow them, causing him to get up and look at Ikit. "Coming with?" Ikit just growled at that.

"Be stay here-here." Said Ikit. "Not interested in seeing dead elf thing. She not looking for me. She looking for you. Yes-yes. To kill or hurt? Me-me not know. Rather not be there if she looking to kill-stab you. No-no. Like living." With that, Ikit went over to Thalyssra's estate, now done talking. Not sure if Ikit was being smart or not, Jack nonetheless followed the Forsaken to a nearby portal that would take them to Sylvanas. As he traveled through the portal, Jack hoped that the banshee queen wasn't interested in killing him for dating her sister. Her younger sister at that.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Chief**

* * *

Thalyssra was inspecting the architecture of this base, marveling at it's designs, even if she found them dull and boring, when Master Chief spoke.

"We need to talk." Said Chief, in the dull tone that she had grown accustomed to hearing from him. Surprised slightly at hearing his voice, Thalyssra looked at Chief in surprise.

"What is it?" Asked Thalyssra, turning fully to the Spartan. "Is there something that you have uncovered from this facility?"

"No, we need to discuss something…personal." Said Chief, causing Thalyssra to blink in surprise. "Can you put up a barrier over us, prevent people from hearing us?" Thalyssra, still surprised at all this, nonetheless nodded before doing so. Once she did, she asked what all this is about. "I spoke with your friend Valtrois. She claims you have feelings for me and want me to be your lover and mate. Is this true?" Upon hearing that, Thalyssra widened her eyes in shock and a light blush appeared in her cheeks, darkening her purple skin to a darker purple color.

"Oh my. What has caused Valtrois to come up with such a conclusion?" Asked Thalyssra, though she knew the answer. Chief, however, wasn't going to sugarcoat this and spoke.

"Thalyssra, I'm sorry, but we can't be together." Said Chief, causing Thalyssra to widen her eyes at that before adopting a hurt look, causing Chief to feel like he just kicked a puppy or something. It stung to see her sad because of him. "Thalyssra, we just can't be together. Between Elisande, her influence, and the threat to your position, we can't do anything beyond mere friendship. Even if those thing didn't exist, I'm a Spartan. We…we're not suppose to form families or grow attached to a single individual. Those attachments might cause us to abandon a mission in favor for keeping them safe or even just to ensure their safety. And with the type of missions we go on, such…distractions would cause the death of thousands. Millions. Maybe even billions. That's why, along with other things, I can't be with you. I'm sorry, but I just can't. There's too much responsibilities on a Spartan to be with someone. Especially one as you." Thalyssra, upon hearing all this, let out a few tears as she turned around. She couldn't explain it, but she felt her heart being broken as Chief said his reasoning why they couldn't be together. It was all logical to her, but it still broke her heart at hearing it all. Having never actually felt anything like this before, except when she learned her entire family's death, but even then this felt even more personal, caused her to lower the barrier in pain. Chief, seeing the emotional state the Arcanist was in, wanted to comfort her, but didn't know if he should, lest he go back on his decision to deny the First Arcanist her feelings. He was about to go and leave her alone when she turned and it caused him to stop. Seeing the tear laden face of the Nightborne lady, caused Chief to look at the tall woman in pity. Then, before he knew it, he went over and began to wipe the tears away from her face, trying hard to delicately do so.

Thalyssra, though still hurt with his decision, felt at peace at what he was doing, allowing it all to happen. Looking at his golden visor, Thalyssra wanted to see the face behind the helmet, but thought that would make this even more unbearable. Seeing the steel expression on his actual face and not his helmet, seeing no regret on it when he denied her emotions towards him, it might make her even more sad. So, she refrained from wanting to take it off from him or asking him to remove it. Once he was done, Chief took a few steps back. Seeing the Arcanist was still sad, Chief, still unsure if what he did was the right decision in regards to his want to have a professional relationship with the Arcanist, spoke.

"I'm sorry for making you cry." Said Chief. "Had I not been a Spartan and been a normal citizen of the Alliance, I may have actually accepted your feelings." Thalyssra, though touched at the sentiment, did not feel that she would have still had the same feelings as she did now for Chief if he had been born a normal Alliance citizen. Maybe even a soldier or mage. There was something about him being a Spartan that appealed to her. Made her want him. But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

"It's alright." Lied Thalyssra, knowing what she just said was a lie. "I understand your reasoning perfectly. Truth be told, I haven't pondered much of the consequences of us being together. Elisande would have my head, or at least banish me, if I mated with someone of the lower classes of Suramar. Even more so, if I mated with someone from another race. And given my people need someone like me in Elisande's courts, I cannot allow that to happen. And that is not taking into account of your own responsibilities with your own government. So, I cannot blame your for rejecting my recently acquiesced feelings for you. If only you have been borne a Nightborne nobleman or Arcanist. Then perhaps things would be different."

"Perhaps." Said Master Chief as the First Arcanist walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest. For a moment, Chief thought she was going to collapse on him, but she just donned a sad smile, causing his heart to tug a bit, if only a little. The tug caused a part of him to wonder if he should take the forbidden fruit in front of him. To take the Arcanist in his arms, apologize for hurting her, and claim her as his own. But that part was soon dissipated by his passion to his duty and his discipline.

"I thank you for dealing with this quickly." Said Thalyssra, voice a bit weak, but still strong enough for him to hear. "Better to deal with it now than to do it later when the wound would be even more painful." Chief, not sure what to say, was about to change the subject when a cough caught both of their attention. Looking behind them, the two saw Courier and Valtrois there.

Valtrois, sensing the hurt from her friend, realized what was going on and it pained her. She'll have to comfort Thalyssra over this later, but for now, there was something that required their ally's attention. Courier, also understanding what happened, was mentally shaking his head on what Chief did. Yup, he definitely needed his help in mending this situation. In fact, he probably is going to have to convince Thalyssra to keep her feelings for Chief and try to keep fighting for his affection. Otherwise, that Spartan is going to die alone because he has no idea who else would want him. Well, maybe Shandris and some Spartan chicks. There were female Spartans, right?

"Chief, we got a message from the Alliance and Horde." Said Courier. "They've pushed the Iron Horde back to their portal and are requesting our aid in taking that portal. Jack is already there helping out the Horde, but the want all of us there to help out. C'mon, if we hurry, we might be able to help out before the battle for that portal starts." With that, Chief went back his usual self and went to Courier.

'Then let's go." Said Chief before looking at Thalyssra, who just nodded.

"I'll keep searching this base and let you know of anything of note here." Said Thalyssra, still a bit said, which was noticeable to all of them. Courier, hearing that, elbowed Chief, who allowed it, before he took off with Master Chief. Once they were gone, Valtrois looked at her friend in sympathy.

"I…I'm sorry Thalyssra, but it was for the best for our people." Said Valtrois before hugging her friend who she considered a sister. "I'm sorry." Thalyssra, now that she was alone with a trusted friend again, let loose her tears again.

* * *

**Sometime later**

**Horde and Alliance embassy building**

* * *

"You fucking blew it, you know that, man." Said Courier as he prepared his guns along with Chief and High Elf Archer. Ikit, much to his annoyance, was being taken back to Torrington to get clean up as his equipment hadn't been dried up yet and no mage was willing to cast a cleaning spell on him, meaning he won't be participating in the battle against the Iron Horde, which Courier explained to Chief was the name of the Orc horde invading Azeroth. Angry, he blamed Thalyssra for causing him to be placed in the river, but left without too much complaint on the Pelican back to their base, leaving the other three team members to help Jack, the Horde, and Alliance out. Cortana, after they contacted her, sent a transport full of Titans and weapons to help them out and should arrive there in the Blasted Lands in fifteen minutes, just enough time for them to understand the game plan of both Horde and Alliance armies. Meanwhile, as they were preparing to go through the portal that'll take them there, Courier was arguing with Chief. "She was a keeper and you just rejected her the moment you realize she got the hots for you man."

"It was necessary." Said Chief as he checked his ammo reserves on how much ammo he had as well as his armor for any faults. "Both for her future and my own. It hurt her, yes, but it'll pass and she'll find someone else to love."

"Yeah." Agreed Courier. "But, what about you? Will you find anyone to love? Before you suddenly end up dead? What's the harm in falling in love? Even for a brief moment? There's nothing wrong with it?"

"Other than it may impede our duties?" Asked Chief, looking at Courier, who looked back at him. "Trust me, it's better this way."

"It isn't." Said High Elf Archer, looking at her leader with her green eyes. "I know it may sound selfish, Chief, but give it a shot. Love is a very fickle beast. Sometime it gives you a lot of chances for it. Other times you just get one chance at it. This may be the case for you. Don't you want to be happy? Even for a few moments? Not happy out of a job well done, mind you, but out of happiness of being with someone. Someone you can love with all your heart?"

"And risk failing a mission because of it?" Asked Chief.

"Yeah, there's risk in falling in love, but sometimes the risks pay off well." Said High Elf Archer. "You shouldn't let your fear of it affecting your duty impede your love life, Chief. Even if it does sound selfish and wrong in your book. Besides, your someone that deserves to have a chance at love, from what I've heard about you from Cortana and yourself."

"Yeah man." Said Courier, agreeing with High Elf Archer. "After all this is over, go and apologize to Thalyssra and take her out in a date. It's not going to hurt both of you. And don't worry about repercussions, we'll take care of it." Chief, annoyed slightly with his teammates insistence on this, was about to reprimand them when an Alliance soldier quickly ran up to them. Looking at him, they were surprised to see his wild eyes.

"Team Sigma! You must come quickly! It's urgent!" Yelled the Alliance soldier. The way he spoke so urgently caused them all to look at him in shock.

"Why?" Asked Courier. "What's going on?"

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Blasted Land**

* * *

Jack was blinking heavily as he stirred himself back to consciousness, feeling a headache forming up. Groaning, he sat up from the ground he was in to see Forsaken and other Horde soldiers scrambling to fight off something.

Grabbing his head, which had his helmet on, Jack thought back to what happened before he was knocked unconscious.

One moment he had been discussing with Sylvanas over the Iron Horde, himself and her sister's relations with him when suddenly explosions permeated all over the Horde camp he was in. The explosions happened so quick and fast that Jack couldn't do much as he fell off the watch tower he was in with Sylvanas as it was destroyed by an explosion. Thankfully his jump pack saved him from fatal damage, but it wasn't enough for him to not be knocked out. And so here he was. Waking up in the middle of a battlefield.

Shaking his head, Jack saw a Troll casting spells at something in front of it when a figure slammed into it from the Troll's left, tackling the Troll to the ground before several more figures came and went at the Troll. Jack could hear the Troll's screams as the figures began stabbing him with rusty swords or knives. It was then that Jack could see the figures clearly, focusing on them until he could make them out to be, to his shock, giant rats.

Man-sized rats with brown fur and beady red eyes. He saw them using their rusty knives and swords at the now dead Troll, even using their teeth to rip out chunks of flesh from the Troll, swallowing the juicy meat with a ferocity only hunger can give. After finishing off the Troll, they soon spotted Jack and began screeching out in hunger-enhanced fury. They then went on their hindlegs and charged at the helpless pilot, teeth gnashing, hungry for his flesh.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

* * *

**9/15- Redone a scene due to criticism.**

* * *

**Team Sigma**

**The Blasted Lands**

* * *

"My god." Said High Elf Archer in horror as she walked around the remains of the Alliance camp with Courier and some Spectres and Titans. Well, what they saw anyway. There was a massive hole in the middle of where the camp had been located in with only the outer skirts of the camp surviving. The group had been informed by an Alliance soldier that something was attacking the Alliance and scrambled to help them and the Horde, believing that the Orcs from another world was attacking both camps before they could become a threat, only to come too late. "W-what did this?"

"Judging by edges of this hole and the radiation my Pip-Boy is , I'd say some explosions had been placed underneath the camp and caused it to sink down." Said Courier as he checked his wrist-mounted computer for any significant amount of radiation that would impair their ability to travel down and find survivors.

"How did the Orcs managed to do this?" Asked High Elf Archer, finding it hard to believe the Iron Horde, they received the name from the survivors before going to inspect the damage wrought in the Alliance camp, managed to do this to the Alliance and from what BT and Chief told them of the Horde camp, the same thing happened with the Horde. A giant hole replaced where the camp was. She couldn't fathom how Orcs that placed so much emphasis on personal honor would do something like this, even someone like Garrosh.

"I got the feeling it wasn't the Iron Horde that did this." Said Courier as he looked around, trying to find clues in the remains of the Alliance camp to get a good understanding of what went down. There wasn't much, but enough to make him understand that this wasn't the enemy's fault at all. They didn't take the territory from the Alliance for their own use and there weren't banners of the enemy around, nor was there evidence of much plundering from the remains of the camp. All anthesis these off-world Orcs were seemingly about. Someone else was behind this. Who, he didn't know, but had a feeling he'll know soon enough.

"You think that Jack is…" Started High Elf Archer, but was interrupted by Courier.

"Don't think so. Guy is a good fighter. Anyone that can survive this, he can." Said Courier as he looked around. "For now, let's speak with the survivors. Try to get an understanding on what happened here." High Elf nodded before the two let to go ask survivors what transpired here.

* * *

**Sometime ago**

**Blasted Lands**

**Horde camp**

* * *

"I suppose that I won't get an answer if I ask what Sylvanas wants of me personally?" Asked Jack as he was escorted by two Forsaken soldiers. The three had been trudging into the Horde camp after they went through a portal that led them to the Blasted Lands from Suramar. All around him, he saw various Horde races either preparing for war against the Orcs currently invading Azeroth or were simply conversing with each other over a myriad of things. A few of them cast glances at Jack, wondering why it was just him and not the rest of team Sigma, but for the most part, the majority of Horde soldiers either ignored him or just pretended he didn't exist, which was fine with Jack.

The Forsaken soldiers that escorted him didn't answer, only trudging forward to where, Jack could only assume, was where Sylvanas was waiting. As they walked, Jack wondered what the undead banshee could possible want with him. Was it about her sister? For all he knew, Vereesa didn't tell her about their ongoing relationship. Though if she did, that would explain why Sylvanas specifically requested him. So, she could do the annual big sibling warning to the boyfriend/girlfriend of their younger siblings that if they harm them, they'll answer to the big sibling. If that's the case, then Jack had to watch what he said.

Not only was Sylvanas the leader of the Horde, but she had powers that he just trained to deal with that she can easily use to kill him if she wanted to. So, it's best for him to keep her on her good side. Even if he disagreed with her methods.

From what he gathered, Sylvanas was one of the most immoral and evil of the Horde leaders. She killed the son of Genn Greymane, sparking a grudge between the two, and killed countless people in the man's city, not discriminating between civilian or soldier. Such a figure would normally have Jack pull his gun on them and kill them, but he refrained, knowing that would be a bad idea if he did it now for a myriad of reasons. So, no matter how much his instincts were telling him to kill her, he refrained from doing so. Besides, from what he saw in Pandaria with her sister, it seems there's still good in Sylvanas, perhaps enough for her to change for the better. At least he hoped so.

Eventually, the Forsaken soldiers escorted him a watch tower that was meant to keep an eye out for anything approaching the Horde camp. Stopping before the stairs, the Forsaken soldiers motioned him to go up, which he did. Going to the very top, Jack could see Sylvanas overlooking the Blasted land, a stoic expression on her face.

"Keeping a look out yourself?" Asked Jack, looking at Sylvanas as she crossed her arms, still overlooking the landscape before her.

"It helps keep my focus." Said Sylvanas as she looked at Jack. "Unlike those fools in the Alliance, we Horde leaders know the importance of being on the battlefield and leading from the front. It inspires the troops, motivates them to fight harder. Don't you agree?" Jack, seeing the test before him, spoke up.

"I see the merits, but also the downsides." Said Jack. "A leader on the battlefield presents an irresistible target for the enemy. If they take him out, morale drops as the people they're leading realize they have no leader to guide them in battle, leading to an easy rout for the enemy."

"True." Said Sylvanas as she traced a finger across the smooth wooden surface of the tower, which had obviously been made by elves due to it's craftmanship. "But those leaders that survive keep their skills sharp and they understand the hard work that their soldiers put into fighting for the causes they ask them to. Correct?"

"True." Said Jack, wondering where Sylvanas was going with this. "But the cons far outweigh the pros, in my opinion, Sylvanas. Especially if the enemy has skilled assassins to kill them without anyone noticing and then takes advantage of it. Something you're familiar with. You tried to do it with Genn, after all." Sylvanas actually let loose a chuckle at that.

"Hm, japs at me and my work. Bold." Commented Sylvanas as she looked at Jack fully with her ruby-like eyes. "I respect that. Already you're a step up from Vereesa's first husband, Rhonin."

"Take it you don't like him?" Asked Jack.

"Yes and no." Clarified Sylvanas. "I will admit Rhonin was a naïve fool that got on my nerves with his attempts to create peace between the Horde and Alliance with all the bad blood between the two factions, but he made my sister happy and that is sufficient for me. I won't even deny that he's quite a catch as well. My sister knows how to choose them apparently. You're also quite handsome if her letters are any indication."

"So, you're keeping in contact with each other." Said Jack. "That's great. I trust you two are bonding again."

"In a matter of speaking." Said Sylvanas as she crossed her arms under her bust. "I'll admit, it's…good to have a sistership with Vereesa again. I thought that we would never have one again unless we're both undead, but…we're trying, regardless that she's among the living and I'm not. And it's working."

"So, are you here to thank me?" Asked Jack, confused. "Because you should be thanking Courier too as he's the one that prevented you from ripping Vereesa's head off when she told you she was breaking her promise." Sylvanas tilted her head at that.

"Yes, I know, but I wished to speak with you first." Said Sylvanas. "After all, it's your encouragement that made Vereesa decide to speak with me personally rather than through a letter. So, really you're the first I should be thanking for my current relationship with my sister. Plus, I wanted to talk with you regarding your own relationship with my sister as well."

**"Yup there it is."** Thought Jack. **"Called it."**

"I know what you're going to say." Said Jack. "Hurt her in any way, and you'll kill me with the added bonus of reviving me as an undead, only to kill me, again right?" Sylvanas smirked at that.

"I see we understand each other. Good." Said Sylvanas. "Vereesa has chosen well. And here I was thinking she choose poorly when she began dating the one that kidnapped her children." Jack tensed up at that.

"She told you about that?" Asked Jack, rubbing his neck.

"Oh yes." Said Sylvanas, recalling just how livid she was at hearing that. She would have summoned Jack to hurt him when Vereesa calmed her down enough, saying she punished Jack sufficiently for it, telling her exactly how she did it. "I trust your reproductive organs can still give her children, right?" Jack coughed a bit at that.

"We'll see." Said Jack, looking over at the Blasted Lands. "I'm guessing you want team Sigma to help out with taking the Orcs right?"

"Yes." Said Sylvanas. "For starters, however, they're called the Iron Horde on account of their use of metal and advanced technology. And yes, before you ask, Garrosh is indeed responsible for everything. Again. He's traveled back in time to create this Iron Horde, had them create the dark portal, and invade Azeroth akin to the first Orc invasion, only with more advanced technology on their side. We've pushed them back to their portal and we're gathering up what forces we can to take it from them. We were hoping for your assistance in this matter."

"Don't worry, we'll help out." Said Jack. "The rest of the team was helping out the Nightborne with a regional problem they had concerning outside threats that involved people from our worlds." Upon hearing that, Sylvanas raise an eyebrow.

"What outside threats? Are they threats to all of Azeroth as well?" Asked Sylvanas, she knew they were from other worlds, that much was pretty obvious, but what threats from their worlds are here that went without their notice. Wondering if he should tell her, Jack was about to reply when suddenly Sylvanas's ears twitched. Before either of them could react, explosions erupted all over the Horde camp, sending both of them to the ground.

"What the hell?" Yelled Jack as he tried to get up, only to be sent back to the ground when another wave of explosions erupted in the camp. Already he was hearing screams of pain and people trying to organize soldiers all over the camp. Sylvanas, meanwhile, struggled to get up to observe what was happening, wondering what was attacking them and how they avoided their forward scouts. Looking outwards towards the Blasted Lands, Sylvanas saw a massive horde of something coming out of giant tunnels that weren't there before. Looking at the horde of things, Sylvanas noticed an object coming towards the watch tower she and Jack were in.

Seeing it come at them, Sylvanas yelled at Jack to jump before doing it herself. Jack, seeing what was coming, yelled out as the object crashed near the tower and exploding, forcing Jack off the tower as it was destroy in the explosion. Using his jump pack, he avoided a fatal fall, but was still knocked out from the impact.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Alliance camp**

* * *

"Yes. Yes. Little rats. Scurry and fight those fools. Distract them from realizing the true prize in this battle." Said a masculine voice as it watched large hordes of rats engage and kill the Alliance forces in the camp set up as a forward operating base before their assault on the dark portal of the Iron Horde. Another large force of rats were also attacking the Horde camp as well, weakening both sides and delaying them from attacking the Iron Horde and taking the fight to Draenor. While he was sure these attacks would set both back considerably, the voice was here for another reason. One that, if he successfully acquires, can have dire consequences for Azeroth. Yes indeed.

Looking over the battlefield from a hidden location, the owner of the voice saw powerful magic being flung towards large groups of rats, obliterating them, yet not matter how many rats they slay, more come to replace them. The owner then saw the owner of some of this magic, a white-haired, male human with a good build for his kind, defending a group of wounded Alliance soldiers from the rats.

"**Cut off from the rest of the Alliance and exhausting himself by protecting the weak.** **How ripe of an opportunity this is."** Thought the voice before springing into action.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Jack**

* * *

Jack was blinking heavily as he stirred himself back to consciousness, feeling a headache forming up. Groaning, he sat up from the ground he was in to see Forsaken and other Horde soldiers scrambling to fight off something.

Grabbing his head, which had his helmet on, Jack thought back to what happened before he was knocked unconscious.

One moment he had been discussing with Sylvanas over the Iron Horde, himself and her sister's relations with him when suddenly explosions permeated all over the Horde camp he was in. The explosions happened so quick and fast that Jack couldn't do much as he fell off the watch tower he was in with Sylvanas as it was destroyed by an explosion. Thankfully his jump pack saved him from fatal damage, but it wasn't enough for him to not be knocked out. And so here he was. Waking up in the middle of a battlefield.

Shaking his head, Jack saw a Troll casting spells at something in front of it when a figure slammed into it from the Troll's left, tackling the Troll to the ground before several more figures came and went at the Troll. Jack could hear the Troll's screams as the figures began stabbing him with rusty swords or knives. It was then that Jack could see the figures clearly, focusing on them until he could make them out to be, to his shock, giant rats.

Man-sized rats with brown fur and beady red eyes. He saw them using their rusty knives and swords at the now dead Troll, even using their teeth to rip out chunks of flesh from the Troll, swallowing the juicy meat with a ferocity only hunger can give. After finishing off the Troll, they soon spotted Jack and began screeching out in hunger-enhanced fury. They then went on their hindlegs and charged at the helpless pilot, teeth gnashing, hungry for his flesh.

Seeing them come for him, Jack reached for his sidearm in order to defend himself. To his horror, he found that it was missing from it's thigh. Scrambling for his combat knife, Jack saw the rats raising their poor quality weapons high in the air as they readied to kill him.

Just as they were about to close in on their kill, a trio of arrows killed the front rats, embedding themselves in their foreheads and eyes, before the screams of a banshee were heard. A shadowy figure then landed amongst the remaining rats, spreading shadows all over the place, missing Jack by a few inches. Jack watched as the rats all died as the shadows entered their bodies, causing them to wither and decay before his eyes. From the shadows came Sylvanas, her ragged cloak even more so and her hood gone, allowing her long hair to splay out everywhere.

"Get up!" Yelled Sylvanas as she came over to Jack, hoisted him up, and placed his R-201 in his hands. "Prove to me that you're worthy of my sister now!" Still processing what was going on, Jack shook his head and nodded his head at her. With that, Sylvanas dragged him somewhere else, avoiding anymore rats and the screams of battle all over them. Eventually, they found a handful Orcs smashing their axes on a group of rats, finishing them off. Seeing them, Sylvanas was about to rally them when her ears heard the sounds of something coming at them. Then, before she knew it, a few small globes landed on near the Orcs. Upon landing, the globes broke, releasing green gas all over the Orcs and rats. She then heard the them scream out in pain as they wrenched and fell to the ground, dead.

Gritting her teeth, she then looked up to see more of those globes flying towards the camp, crashing all over the place, uncaring where they hit. Sylvanas, seeing the danger they were in, dragged Jack along as she tried to avoid all the globes falling all around them.

"The hell is all this?" Asked Jack as they ran, avoiding the globes whenever possible. The gas released from the globes dissipated a few seconds after release, but that seemed to be just enough to kill someone. As they witnessed just a few seconds ago. "Who the fuck is attacking us?!"

"Just keep running!" Yelled Sylvanas. Although she also wondered what was attacking them. It was clearly rats, but these large and bipedal rats were nothing like she's seen before with the exception of Ikit. A part of her suspected treachery from that rat, but given his allegiance to Jack, and the fact those rats attempted to kill him, it couldn't be him. Though she made a note to shake off information about these rats from that one. "We need to gat…"

She couldn't say anymore when the ground beneath them suddenly erupted and out came a massive rat, even larger than a Tauren warrior, filled with stiches and missing patches of fur, sending the two flying away from each other and to the ground. Roaring out, the giant looked at Sylvanas and grabbed her leg before smashing the undead elf to the ground multiple times, roaring out as it did so. Before it could finish off the undead being by ripping her in half, Jack pumped a full magazine to it's torso, causing it to roar out in pain, dropping the elf before glaring at the source of the bullets.

"Aw shit." Said Jack as the massive rat thing tossed Sylvanas away before charging at him, going on all fours to do so. Reloading his gun, Jack moved out of the way of the charging rat, watching as it crashed into a makeshift tent, causing fabrics to go all over it. As the rat tried to remove the fabrics from it, Jack aimed his gun at the flaying rat abomination. When it ripped a hole of the fabric for it's head, Jack pumped his entire magazine into it. The human watched in astonishment as the rat's head held for around twelve or ten round before they pierced and killed the rat by embedding themselves in it's brain, killing it. Watching as the giant rat fell down, dead, Jack went over to where Sylvanas was thrown, checking to see if she's alright.

Upon getting there, Jack cursed as he saw her unconscious with black blood dripping from her forehead. Not knowing if she was suffering from internal bleeding or hemorrhaging of the brain, Jack cautiously lifted her up and gently carried to where he could hear shouts of Horde soldiers, hoping that they won't find anymore rats on their way to friendly territory.

Luck, wouldn't be on their side, however, as three rats, just the human-sized ones thankfully, appeared before them, wearing black cloaks and wielding swords on each hand, the edges glowing with some green substance.

Cursing under his breath, Jack aimed his rifle at the trio of rats as they clicked and twitched in front of him. Just as they were about to attack, they suddenly twitched around and dodged out of the way of a volley of arrows.

"For the dark lady!" Yelled an undead warrior as a group of Forsaken charged at the rats, swords and spears at the ready. Seeing them outnumbered, the rats quickly left the scene, using smoke bombs to hide their escape. With their enemies gone, the Forsaken gathered around Jack, who then carefully gave Sylvanas to one of them.

"She's bleeding from her head. We got to treat it. Any of you a healer?" Asked Jack as one of the Forsaken checked the condition of the banshee queen.

"We must get her to safety." Said the Forsaken soldier. "This place is too dangerous for her." The soldier then looked at Jack. "Guard me while I tend to our fallen leader." Jack just nodded as he joined the other Forsaken in guarding the soldier as he tended to Sylvanas.

A few minutes passed and just as the soldier finished tending to Sylvanas, the ground beneath them began to shake violently, sending a few to the ground. Before anyone could speak, the ground began to gave in all around them, crack forming up, causing Horde soldiers to fall to their death, and their surrounding began to sink beneath the ground.

* * *

**Present**

**Master Chief**

* * *

"What happened here?" Asked Chief to a blood elf ranger as he was being tended to by a blood elf priest, healing him with her magic. These two were among the few survivors of the Horde camp that survived whatever had attacked them. What few healers they had were tending to the wounded, which nearly everyone was, including themselves. Besides the small camp they set up, there were clothed bodies of those that died in the attack. Unfortunately, there were so few of them that many Horde soldiers were unaccounted for and Chief suspected it was the same with the Alliance. The blood elf ranger gave a small wince as the priest healed a rather serious wound on his left leg before speaking.

"Rats." Said the elf as he recalled. "Rats the size of humans, maybe a bit shorter, but that doesn't matter. They burst from the ground all around us and began attacking. They took us completely by surprise. We lost so many warriors from them before we could regroup. And then that happened." The elf looked at the massive hole of where the Horde main camp used to be. Chief, looking at the hole, wondered what this all meant. Man-sized rats? Could Ikit's own people be here as well? If so, they needed him here. To tell them the strengths and weaknesses of his people in order to gain a fighting chance against them. It would take some time for him to get here, but he'll be needed if they're going to conduct search and rescue operations for the people that survived the collapse of the Horde and Alliance camps. The hole looked deep enough to prevent people from surviving such a fall, but considering magic and the like in this world, he suspected some survived and that it was his duty to, at least, attempt to rescue them, considering they're his allies at the moment. But in order to attempt that, he needed knowledge on these rats. Knowledge that Ikit might be able to give them.

"How did this happen?" Asked Chief, needing more info.

"Well, I was at the outer edges of the camp, fighting off those vermin, so I couldn't tell. I was too focused on staying alive to give you much. But what I do know is that I heard massive tremors coming below before the ground starting to sink before my very eyes. I was so distracted that one of those vermin bit my leg and brought me down. If it weren't for an Orc tossing it away towards the hole, I might not be here to tell you all this." Said the blood elf as he recalled all that happened.

"Which of your leaders was in the camp when all this happened?" Asked Chief, needing to know which Horde leaders were present so they can rescue them.

"Only Sylvanas." Said the blood elf. "Thrall was out fighting the Iron Horde in the frontline along with the warchief and Saurfang." Chief nodded at that before letting the priest tend to the wounded. Walking over to the edges of the hole, Chief contacted BT, telling him to send a message to Cortana that they need more reinforcements, including Ikit.

"If he refuses to go, tell him that we encountered rats similar to him and that he has the chance to test his new toys. That should get him to come." Said Chief, causing BT to acknowledge in confirmation before sending the message. As the machine did so, Chief looked at the hole and thought of Jack.

'**We're coming for you. Stay strong soldier." **Thought Chief as he got ready to go down and find Jack, Sylvanas, and whoever else they can save.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Hole**

* * *

In the dark and murky hole that had been recently created, a single human began to blink as he stirred. Groaning, Jack shook his head as he opened his eyes. Opening his eyes, Jack could see that he was buried under a few rocks, not enough to crush him to death, but enough to keep him down unless he moved them off him. Around him, he saw the bodies of horde warriors all around him. Some of them groaning or barely breathing, one of which was in front of him, a Tauren warrior. He was about to tell him to stay calm and that he'll help him when he heard the chittering and yelling of rats.

"Stupid horde-things. Fell for trap. Yes-yes. Skaven true brains." Said a man-sized rat as it along with around forty other rats began to show in Jack's vision. The rat that spoke wore makeshift armor of metal and leather that fitted it's body somehow. The other rats were wearing only worn leather for protection with the only metal on them being their helmets. The better equipped rat, upon seeing the horde warriors before him, began issuing commands to it's other rats. "Take horde-things, minions. Take them to Under-lands. We use them for food and experiments, yes-yes! Take everything! For lord-Skitterish!" The other rats did what they were told and began forcibly dragging horde warriors with them, uncaring to their groans of pain. Those Horde warriors that tried to fight back or looked like they could fight were quickly killed with a simple rusty blade to the head.

Cursing in his head, Jack watched as the rats began making their way towards him, killing any horde warriors they saw. They were going to be near him soon and he doubted they won't see him, especially with how his helmet's visor glowed.

Just as the rats walked up to his general location, the Tauren in front of Jack looked at him, nodded, before roaring out, getting up, albeit weakly, and tossing the stones away from Jack freeing him. It then roared at the rats, which screeched out in horror and began fleeing from the Tauren before their leader killed one of them for running and ordering the rest to attack.

Meeting the rats head on, the Tauren smashed one to a pulp before three rats jumped on his back and began stabbing him with their rusty blades. Trying to get them off his back, the Tauren received several worn and battered spears to the chest, followed by several rats tackling him in the front, gnawing and stabbing at the Tauren.

Jack, meanwhile, was retreating away from the fight. Prior to the Tauren fighting off the rats, it looked at Jack and, in his eyes, he asked Jack to retreat, to tell people of what happened here and what these rats are. Much as Jack hated the idea of running away, he knew that it was necessary. People had to know about these rats, especially Ikit Claw. So, with a heavy heart, Jack ran from the conflict as the rats were distracted with the big, intimidating Tauren.

As he retreated, the rat leader saw him running away from them as his rats killed the Tauren. Growling, he ordered several to catch the human as it entered a big tunnel of artificial making.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

"But Chief we need to go now!" Yelled High Elf Archer as she glared at Chief as he stared back at the elf. "Jack and the countless other people are in danger and we need to help them now!"

"We can't. We don't have either the equipment or the knowledge we need to safely go down and conduct rescue operations." Said Chief. "Ikit's people are down there and they're hostile. We need to wait until Cortana sends reinforcements to help us and for Ikit to arrive. If we go now, we run the risk of getting ourselves killed and anyone that comes with us. So we won't be of any help to those down there." High Elf wanted to continue arguing when Courier came up.

"He's right." Said Courier. "We're just going to get ourselves killed. We don't know much of Ikit's people and their capabilities. We're going in unknown territory with no idea where to go and with just the stuff we have at hand. We're going to lose a lot more people going in now than going in later and better prepared. Trust me, High Elf, it sucks. People are going to die because of this decision, but people are going to die regardless of what choice we make. The best we can do is minimize them, both for the people doing the rescuing and needing to be rescued." High Elf crunched up her face before stomping off, pissed at their decision. Sighing, Courier looked over at Chief and told him he'll talk with her further about this. Chief nodded at that, knowing he was better at this than him. Once both of them were gone, Chief looked at the hole that had consumed the Alliance camp.

After BT contacted Cortana to send additional reinforcements, the two went over to where the Alliance camp was to speak with Courier and High Elf Archer to find what information they discerned from the Alliance situation, only to find that it was similar to the Hordes'. Humanoid rats attacked them prior to their camp being sunk, taking whatever Alliance soldiers and troops were in the camp when it sunk, delaying their attack on the Iron Horde considerably. Chief knew that they had to make a makeshift defensive perimeter in case the Iron Horde figures out what happened and send forces to wipe out whatever forces they find here.

Fortunately, the Alliance and Horde were sending reinforcements here to do just that. Several messengers had been sent to both Stormwind and Orgrimmar about what happened and, via portals, soldiers and mages were arriving, stunned momentarily at the site before them. Leading them was Varian Wrynn himself. When he arrived Chief told him the situation, telling him all they knew and that rescuing survivors of both Horde and Alliance are a priority given that they were facing an unknown enemy and they needed all information they could get on them, to which Varian surprisingly agreed on, though he ordered his forces to only focus on saving their own people and not the Horde.

After that discussion, the Alliance forces went to work on both securing a perimeter and fortifying it against any Iron Horde assaults and assaults from those rat-men. To avoid sending more people to their deaths, a small team of experienced Alliance warriors were accompanying team Sigma, which was separating into teams of two, one for Horde and one for Alliance, to save as many lives as they possibly could, while the rest hold the perimeter.

Chief was going to work with Ikit while Courier and High Elf were working with each other. BT, to his dismay because he wanted to save his pilot, was being left behind due to his large chassis being impractical in what was likely small and tight area. Courier promised that they'll do what they can to save Jack, to which BT gave a thumbs up in gratefulness. That Courier, he always knew what to do to make people see his way that radically disagreed with his stance and plans to the point of potential insubordination.

"**Not like me."** Thought Chief, looking at High Elf Archer. He always worked with people that understood and agreed with his plans. Even if they didn't, they still followed him because they trusted him and his ability to succeed and get them out of a mission alive. Never going to the point of yelling into his face about how they disagreed with his plans. Perhaps that was more a problem with High Elf being not a soldier and he was? She didn't see the things he did and what made him such a battle-hardened soldier. Courier, however, did. Even if it wasn't to the same extent as him, it was clear he saw some bad things that made him understand that sometimes making the immoral decision was better for your people, no matter how much they see otherwise.

Thinking this more, Chief almost didn't recognize Varian as he made his way to him.

"I see that you are thinking about your allies' disagreement on your idea of waiting for reinforcements." Said Varian, having seen and heard the yelling of High Elf Archer and her stomping off away from her leader. He waited until Chief was alone to speak with the green warrior from another world. It was clear to Varian that team Sigma was from another world, with all their strange, yet powerful equipment. What astounded him was the fact three of their party was human. If that was the case, were their more humans out there? Humans with technology that surpassed the gnomes and Dwarves in sophistication and power? If so, could they help with their plight with the Horde?

"She does." Said Chief, looking at Courier and High Elf talking, one obviously trying to calm the other and see their points. "She thinks we're endangering the lives of those down there by waiting for more experienced soldiers to arrive."

"I see." Said Varian, looking down at the crater before them. "I can see her point, but I also see yours. If these rat-men are as dangerous as I believe, then we're just sending our people to their deaths in fighting them without a supposed expert about them here to guide us in their tactics." Chief nodded at that. "You're sure that your own rat knows about these rats?"

"He was ecstatic and stunned upon hearing the description of our enemy." Said Chief. Varian hummed at that, but nodded his head. The two warriors looked at the crater for a few moments before Varian spoke.

"You know, when I first heard your stance about being neutral, providing aide to both Horde and Alliance, I was disappointed to hear that you'll side with those monsters that did many horrible deeds in the past." Said Varian. "But, thinking on it now, I can see why you would do so." Chief slightly turned his head to Varian, who took it as a sign to continue. "When we captured Garrosh, I saw the Horde leaders that rebelled against Garrosh appoint Vol'jin as their new warchief. I saw them all bow and kneel before him as if he was their one true leader. I saw that…they are as honorable as they claim to be."

"Is that why you choose to not destroy them when you have the chance?" Asked Chief, having heard from Jack, who heard it from Vereesa, who heard it from Jaina, who was angry at Varian for not seizing the chance to destroy the Horde once and for all, that Varian decided to choose to let the Horde live on when he had a chance to destroy them all.

"Yes and no." Said Varian, looking at Chief's golden visor. "When Garrosh was defeated, Thrall, the previous leader of the Horde, tried to kill him. Just before he did so, he claimed Garrosh was a disappointment and that he wasn't worthy of his father's legacy. I stopped him before he killed the Orc, but as I did so, I saw the anger and hatred he had for Garrosh. The…hurt he had that Garrosh killed so many and destroyed so much with the Horde he created. It, along with the previous reason, stayed my hand. But I must admit, my son had a hand in it."

"Your son Anduin?" Asked Chief, recalling from rumors and stories about Varian's son that he was the complete opposite of Varian. Where Varian was aggressive and called for war, Anduin was passive and called for peace. He heard the two were polar opposite of each other when it comes to the Horde. Varian wanted to dismantle them for all they've done while Anduin believed cooperation can be achieved and that peace can be done between the two superpowers. This led to clashes between the two, rumored to be legendary amongst their household's servants, yet they loved each other very much.

"Yes." Said Varian. "Perhaps his naïve views have begun to rub off on me, but perhaps he is right that peace can be achieved with the Horde. We fought against the Lich King not long ago. We fought against Deathwing and his forces. We even fought against Garrosh and his loyalists. There is proof that we can work in harmony yet we constantly are at war with each other." Chief nodded at that. The two stayed silent for a moment before Chief spoke.

"Is there someone you want me to find?" Asked Chief, doubting Varian will confront him without something he wants him to do. Varian nodded before speaking.

"There was a mage named Khadgar." Said Varian. "He's a powerful mage that had lived through the first Orc invasion of Azeroth. He's was alive when my father was alive and helped us fight off the Orcs in their first invasion. And he's been of great help to the Alliance since. It was him that gathered the forces necessary to fight off the Iron Horde and helped us deal with some of their operations. He intended to spearhead the assault on their gate and take the fight to the Iron Horde's homeworld, both to figure out what was going on and to stop it. I wasn't particularly close to him, but he is a good man and I wish to see him safe and sound."

"If I find him, I'll make sure to bring him back." Said Chief.

"You'll have my gratitude if you do." Said Varian before sighing. "I wish I could join you, but my duties as high king of the Alliance force me to other tasks. The best I could do now is wish you luck and provide you troops to help your mission in saving my people." Chief nodded at that. With that done, Varian left the spartan alone. As he did, a Pelican transport arrived with a few more transports, carrying Titans and Spectre robots. As soon as that Pelican landed, Ikit jumped off and ran towards Chief.

"Skaven people here-here!? This bad news! Yes-yes!" Yelled Ikit as he stopped before Chief, panting and twitching as he did so.

"If your people are here, we need advice to deal with them." Said Chief. Ikit nodded at that.

"Then gather people-slaves! Me only saying things once only! Yes-yes!" Yelled Ikit as his suit, now fully dry, powered up more. Chief nodded at that before leading Ikit to where Courier and High Elf were.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Jack**

* * *

"Damn." Said Jack as he sat in a cave he found in the tunnel he was running in. He needed a moment's rest before he could walk again. As he rested, he checked his equipment and condition.

His helmet was a bit damaged, cracks were everywhere in his visor, impeding it's functions, but everything was operating well enough for now for him to see through the dark cave network he was in. All of his limbs were fine, nothing was sprained or hurt from that fall, miraculously. He only had a knife with him for weapons and nothing else. So, overall, he was fine except in terms of armaments.

Groaning, Jack wondered what to do when he heard the sounds of groaning. A woman's groans. Stunned to hear that, Jack followed the groans, hoping for another survivor. Getting closer and closer to the source, he eventually found some black blood on the floor nearby and he followed the blood, which lead to trail of more blood. Following the trail, he eventually found it led to a grotto, where he found red blood along with the black blood. Getting inside, he heard the sounds of grunting and the sounds of a knife being pulled out of something. Looking at the source, Jack saw Sylvanas ripping a hunter knife from a dead rat and about to throw it when Jack yelled out.

"Whoa it's me, Jack Cooper." Said Jack, holding out it's hands in surrender. Upon hearing his name and his voice, Sylvanas lowered her knife and gave a grunt.

"You survived too?" Asked Sylvanas. "I'm impressed. I thought I was the only one to survive." Seeing her stand down, Jack looked around the grotto to see a dead rat and a quiver full of arrows but no bow.

"Not the only one." Said Jack as he went over to Sylvanas, seeing that she was holding her waist, which was leaking some blood. "Some other survivors made it out of that collapse, but they got taken by…"

"The rats?" Asked Sylvanas mockingly. "I know. I woke up being dragged by this thing to somewhere. Killed it before it noticed anything wrong and hid here." She then grunted as Jack kneeled down and pulled her hands away from her wound, seeing a chunk of flesh missing. "Unfortunately, these rats are more resilient than I thought and he ripped a portion of my flesh away before dying."

"These things are strong." Noted Jack before bringing out an emergency med kit and began applying first aid to Sylvanas. "Seen a few kill a Troll with nothing but rusty weapons and their teeth. And some of them looked malnourished too. Could see their bones sticking to their flesh."

"I see." Said Sylvanas, wincing a bit when Jack sprayed some disinfection on her wound before rapping all his remaining bandages around her waist.

"That'll do for now until we get you a real doctor." Said Jack as he helped Sylvanas up.

"You really think those rats won't find us before our allies do?" Asked Sylvanas.

"I don't know." Said Jack, honestly. "But I'm not giving up and letting those rats win because it seems unlikely our friends will save us. Not how I work." Sylvanas gave a grunt at that.

"Vereesa did choose well." Said Sylvanas. "If we survive this, you have my approval to date my sister and have offspring with her.

"Gee, thanks." Said Jack as the two walked out of the grotto. "Any ideas?"

"We can't wait here." Said Sylvanas. "Those rats will eventually smell the blood here and find us. We need to find a better hiding spot. Follow me." She then lead Jack away from the grotto, hoping to find someplace that wasn't infested with rats.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

In an unknown location, a single white-haired man stirred. Sitting up, the man rotated his arms to relieve the stiffness that plagued them. After doing so, he looked around his surroundings and was shocked at what he saw.

Around him were various races of the Alliance fighting off against those rats that had attacked them while they were preparing to assault the dark portal, all of them stuck in place, not moving or breathing. They just stood still. Some of them up in the air somehow and their expressions stuck. Nothing of them was moving.

Getting up, the man looked around his surroundings. It looked like the Alliance camp he was in the Blasted Lands, but something was off. Something was very wrong where he was. Thinking back to what happened in the Blasted Lands, he recalled fighting off rats that were attacking the wounded when suddenly a great light appeared behind him. When he turned he saw another bright green light occur, blinding him and knocking him out. Wondering how this correlated to his current surroundings, he heard the sounds of someone laughing. Someone laughing with some sort of metallic tone.

"I see that you are fully awakened now." Said a robotic voice as the sound of dull thumbing coming towards the man. "Good. This gallery would not be nearly as pristine if you were unconscious." Looking around for that source of that voice, he heard the robotic voice chuckling again. "It's rare for you to act like this, correct? Powerless. Stuck in an unknown location? No idea if you will live to see the light of day again? Well, I assure you, you won't need to worry about that anymore. Khadgar of the Alliance." The owner of the voice finally appeared in Khadgar's vision, moving out of the way of a Dwarven tank, revealing them to be a tall, metallic figure with the look of a human skeleton with green, soulless eyes. His chest had veins in it that glowed green. In the middle of his chest was a golden coffin-like shape that held a symbol on it that Khadgar had no knowledge on. The figure had a metal, segmented, cape that was held in place by golden shoulder plates and the cape shaped into a metallic hood-like shape that ended near the figure's head. Before Khadgar could express his shock at seeing such a figure, it spoke, it's voice sending shivers done the man's spine, even though it's tone was rather nonthreatening. "For you will be forever be part of the galleries of Solemnace." Before Khadgar could even speak, his body suddenly began to move on it's own. Despite his attempts to stop and control his body, it refused to listen to him, eventually adopting a casting stance against a giant rat coming at a group of wounded Alliance soldiers, with him being the only thing that was between it and them. The figure chuckled as Khadgar's face adopted a fierce and determined look before going towards Khadgar and bringing out his staff, placing it in his free hand and making the mage hold it firmly.

"Yes." Said the metallic figure as it moved away from Khadgar and away from the location in general. Once he passed a tree, the scenery changed from the bright and war-filled place of an Alliance camp under siege to that of a dark, metallic hallway with green lightning that lit the hallway. Turning back, the figure nodded in satisfaction at what was before him. "Yes. Very good. Such a fine gallery. Though backwatered and archaic compared to the rest, there's still something amusing and worthy in preserving the battles of those that lack the ability for space travel. In addition, you have something that my own galaxy lacks and that is something that I must acquire for my galleries. For posterity of course. After all, one's place in a historic battle can only be preserved correctly if preserved in their final moments. You all understand, yes?" Hearing no response, the figure simply chuckled. "Of course, you do. Night Elves. Humans. Dwarves. Members of your ***Chuckles*** Alliance. The master of Solemnace thanks you all for contributing yourselves to the galleries of his tomb world. But don't feel as if your being selfish. Soon, others of your ranks will join you in helping to preserve your culture and great battles, both past and future. This, I swear." With that the figure went down the hallway, his current task done and now he must focus on other things. As he was walking down, he heard the sounds of someone approaching him. Looking forward, the figure saw another metallic figure, designed similarly to him, only one big, green eye instead of two, and possessing a golden headdress that wrapped around his head.

"Ah, Orikan. What news do you bring to me?" Asked the first figure as the named Orikan walked closer to him.

"I've come to inform you that the Szarekh is becoming impatient with you. You promised to aid his mission in establishing the Pariah Nexus, yet your promised aids came only in the form of meager forces from your own tomb world. Forces that are pitiful compared to the forces of the Sautekh Dynasty and the others. It's only a matter of time before the Silent King orders you to come forth and explain." Said Orikan. Despite that threat, the figure just chuckled.

"I assure you, Orikan." Said the figure. "More aid will come. Once my investment with the Old God N'Zoth comes to pass, I'll eagerly spend all of Solemnace's military forces in protecting the Nexus. So long as our king can adequately assure it's protection from the Imperium and the Aeldari. I've heard both are causing trouble as of late for the dynasties." Instead of being reassured, Orikan's eye glowed even brighter.

"And I assure you, Trazyn, that Szarekh is becoming increasingly agitated with you." Warned Orikan. "The nexus is almost complete. The human forces endangering it have been destroyed and the Aeldari are being rebelled whenever they appear. Without those distractions, the nexus is nearing completion and the exodus will soon commence. I assure you, if Szarekh does not have more adequate aid from you, he will send his agents to figure out what is going on and I will have no choice but to reveal what is happening. And I assure you, the futures I've seen when he figures out what you've been up to are not bright for you." Again, the now named Trazyn chuckled.

"You wound me Orikan. Do you really expect me to not plan for this outcome? I assure you, I have plenty of things in hand that will assure my head will be perfectly safe from Szarekh's wrath." Said Trazyn. Orikan just stayed silent at that.

"…Very well. Be warned though, it better be something sufficient enough to abstain Szarekh's wrath." Said Orikan. "I will divine more futures for you in the meantime. The recent successes against our foes have assured some of my time be spared for you."

"Excellent." Said Trazyn. "Do delve into the future for me, Orikan. I very much wish to have good fortunes for my future galleries." Orikan said nothing as the two ventured deeper and deeper into the dark hallway, taking the rest of the trip in silence.


End file.
